SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The San Francisco 49ers have come a long way since Jake Moody vs. Greg Joseph.You remember last year’s kicker battle, don’t you? It was arguably the team’s most compelling competition of training camp, in part because there wasn’t much, well, competition for that title. Some of the others in summer 2025:• Left guard: Ben Bartch vs. Nick Zakelj• Swing tackle: Spencer Burford vs. Andre Dillard• Nickel cornerback: Upton Stout vs. Tre Brown• Weakside linebacker: Dee Winters vs. Nick Martin• No. 3 quarterback: Tanner Mordecai vs. Carter BradleyMost of those battles didn’t end up having much of a tug-of-war at all, and even the kicker competition was a dud. Joseph was slightly more accurate during training camp practices, but Moody won the job — until Week 2, when he was waived and replaced by Eddy Pineiro.This year, however, should be different.While the 2025 offseason was largely about trimming the roster, general manager John Lynch and his staff spent the recent offseason adding depth. The result is more competition, especially at wide receiver and cornerback, which are deep but unsettled heading into the summer.Here are the team’s top competitions of training camp, ranked in order:1. Left guardThis one gets top billing because it’s for a starting spot and because four players could win it: Connor Colby, Robert Jones, Brett Toth and rookie Carver Willis.Colby might have the best shot. He played nearly 500 snaps at left guard as a rookie last year and was working with the first-team unit during the recent spring practice.Jones, however, is the most experienced contender. He started 17 games last year at left guard for the Miami Dolphins, an offense that was very similar to San Francisco’s.The 49ers likely are eyeing Toth as their backup center this season. Still, he’ll get plenty of snaps at guard — on game days, the reserve center has to be able to replace an injured guard, too – which gives him an opportunity to win the job.Willis, meanwhile, played tackle in college and will be transitioning to guard this summer. He may end up being the team’s left guard of the future, though winning that job by the Sept. 10 opener might be a tough task.2. No. 2 running backInjuries made the backup tailback battle such a bust last year that the 49ers felt compelled to trade for a veteran, Brian Robinson Jr., on Aug. 24.This year, the duel between second-year player Jordan James and rookie Kaelon Black should be one of the best — and most visible — of the summer. The 49ers say they’re more determined than ever to give starter Christian McCaffrey, who’s coming off a 413-touch season, more breaks. While keen 49ers observers might be skeptical about that happening in the regular season, it certainly will be the case in training camp.That, coupled with a pectoral injury to Isaac Guerendo, means a lot of practice and preseason carries for James and Black. The 49ers were excited about James at the end of the 2025 season and they considered Black, a third-round pick in April, the second-best runner in the draft. Black is a rocked-up 211 pounds and is the more powerful runner. James is a little quicker, more fluid and at 22 years old, 2 ½ years younger than the rookie.3. Safety(s)The 49ers appeared to be rotating three players — Ji’Ayir Brown, Malik Mustapha and Marques Sigle — with the top defense in the spring, and they recently signed a fourth veteran, Ashtyn Davis, to the mix.Defensive coordinator Raheem Morris said it’s an open competition and suggested the safeties might have different roles in 2026. Perhaps one of them enters games as a dime defender.None of the team’s safeties stood out last year. Brown, Mustapha and Jason Pinnock (now with the New York Giants) had missed-tackle percentages of 16.7 or higher. And the safety group accounted for just four takeaways — two interceptions and a forced fumble by Brown and one interception by Mustapha.4. No. 3 wide receiverThere are actually a couple of competitions at receiver, which has undergone a sea change over the last two years.The most intriguing is for the No. 3 role, pitting veteran Christian Kirk against top draft pick De’Zhaun Stribling. Kirk brings experience, speed and shiftiness to the slot position, while Stribling is a better facsimile of former slot receiver Jauan Jennings in that he’s big and is a strong blocker.The team also might have to figure out who to leave off the roster. As it stands now, there are seven legitimate contenders for a team that usually keeps five or six receivers on the 53-man roster: Kirk, Stribling, Mike Evans, Ricky Pearsall, Jacob Cowing, DeMarcus Robinson and Jordan Watkins.The best punt returner of the group — probably Cowing or Watkins — likely will be the fifth receiver. We have a suspicion that summertime injuries will also help determine the final order.5. No. 3 quarterbackThe 49ers’ No. 3 quarterback battle last year was a snoozer. The team toggled between Mordecai and Bradley — the son of then-Assistant Head Coach Gus Bradley — in training camp before adding Adrian Martinez just before the regular season.Martinez impressed coaches with his ability and demeanor, and he ended up getting his first (and only) NFL snap on a kneel down at the end of a Week 9 win over the Giants.Now he’ll have to hold off 2025 seventh-round pick Kurtis Rourke, who essentially redshirted his rookie season while recovering from ACL surgery. Martinez appeared to be ahead of Rourke in the spring, but this promises to be an open competition in the summer, as well as a reason to watch the second half of the 49ers’ preseason games.The winner ought to have the inside track on the No. 2 job next year when Mac Jones presumably finds a new home in free agency.6. No. 4 cornerbackThe 49ers were encouraged by Renardo Green’s offseason after a dip in production in 2025. If Green, Deommodore Lenoir and Stout end up being the top three cornerbacks again this year, it creates a good competition for the fourth and fifth spots among Jack Jones, Nate Hobbs, rookie Ephesians Prysock, Darrell Luter Jr. and Jakob Robinson.Robinson, an undrafted rookie a year ago, looked strong in training camp before breaking his arm and missing the season. He can play both nickel and on the outside.7. Interior defensive lineThe starting spots seem set. They’ll go to newcomer Osa Odighizuwa and Alfred Collins, who sat out spring drills following offseason shoulder surgery but who ought to be back early in training camp.C.J. West and rookie Gracen Halton are the frontrunners for the next two spots. After that? The team likes to keep five defensive tackles on the active roster. That fifth spot likely will go to one of four undrafted players: rookies Bryson Eason and James Thompson Jr., second-year player Sebastian Valdez or third-year player Evan Anderson. Anderson missed the spring with an undisclosed injury but is expected back for training camp. Eason and Thompson have excellent size and the 49ers had draftable grades on both.8. PunterThough the 49ers had just one punter, Corliss Waitman, this spring, they’re expecting another this summer. Undrafted rookie Jack Bouwmeester hails from Australia, not too far from the site of the 49ers’ Week 1 game against the Rams — and is waiting on his work visa to be approved.