SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The San Francisco 49ers won’t play most of their starters in the preseason opener Thursday night against the Tennessee Titans, but coach Kyle Shanahan will be on the sideline, as he continues his recovery from a car crash last month that left him bloodied and concussed.Things are getting back to normal, which, yes, means the 49ers do have several starters out with injuries. But Shanahan has been impressed with some of the newcomers and knows that the team’s depth is important. He expects some players to take another step up the depth chart against the Titans.“I like our team,” he said. “I feel like we came into this camp better on paper than we did last year. Just with the number of rookies we were dependent on last year, got to play more, and I love the guys we’ve added this year. We’ve still got a lot of work to do. Some days we take a step forward, the next day we take two steps back, but that’s training camp.”Here’s where the 49ers’ depth chart stands after two weeks of camp, with brief analysis on each position. (Rookies in italics.)OffenseQuarterbackStarters: Brock PurdyBackups: Mac Jones, Kurtis Rourke, Adrian MartinezPurdy won’t play Thursday, and there is no reason for Jones to either, though the veteran backup has not been that sharp at training camp. This is the Rourke show. Some have wondered if he might be the backup in 2027 if Jones leaves, but Rourke, a seventh-round pick last year, is still a touch late on his releases. Perhaps the 2027 backup is not on the roster right now.Can Mac Jones still be a long-term starter in the NFL?Derrik KlassenRunning backStarter: Christian McCaffreyBackups: Kaelon Black, Jordan James, Khalil Herbert, Patrick Taylor Jr., Sincere McCormick, Zamir White, Isaac Guerendo (PUP)Everyone was excited about the Black-James battle for the backup running back job, but then that damn substation … just kidding. Their injuries — an adductor issue for Black and a broken rib for James — led to the signings of veterans Herbert and White, while McCormick proved with the Raiders that he can fill in and get the job done. Taylor knows the playbook better than all of them, but it doesn’t really matter. Everyone knows McCaffrey is getting 35 touches per game come September.FullbackStarter: Kyle JuszczykJuszczyk is sidelined for a little bit with a broken finger, and the tight ends have picked up some of his many responsibilities.Wide receiverStarters: Mike Evans, Deebo SamuelBackups: De’Zhaun Stribling, Christian Kirk, Demarcus Robinson, Jordan Watkins, Jacob Cowing, Will Pauling, Wesley Grimes, Malik Turner, KhaDarel Hodge, Trenton IrwinThe 49ers have barely missed Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall — and we know it’s only training camp — as Samuel was signed and showed up in great shape, and Stribling has picked up the offense quickly. Everyone knew he was big and fast, but the rookie’s hands have been the story thus far.Robinson is having a great camp, and it’s clear how much Purdy trusts the veteran. Kirk seems in no rush to hurry back from a calf injury, so he must feel pretty secure about his role. That leaves Watkins and Cowing, who returns kicks, maybe suddenly fighting for one spot. Pauling and Grimes are physical undrafted rookies who are playing for a practice-squad spot or, better yet, to get another team’s attention.Tight endStarter: George Kittle (PUP)Backups: Jake Tonges, Luke Farrell, Brayden Willis, Josiah Deguara, Hayden RucciEvery training camp, Willis will make an eye-opening catch or show off his athleticism, and then disappear. Will Year 4 be his breakthrough? He needs to make some plays in the preseason games, as Tonges and Farrell are established — Farrell more for his blocking. Shanahan said Tuesday that Tonges, Farrell and Willis all improved this offseason. Kittle, meanwhile, continues to make great strides in his rehabilitation from a torn Achilles. He clearly wants to play against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 1 in Australia.Left tackleStarter: Trent WilliamsBackups: Austin Pleasants, Vederian Lowe, Enrique Cruz Jr. Williams is somehow still an elite left tackle at age 38, and the plan was for Lowe to be the swing tackle off the bench. But the former Patriot sustained a high-ankle sprain two weeks ago and might not be back by the opener. Pleasants had some ups and downs in limited duty last season and a rough joint practice against the Titans on Tuesday. Cruz can move for a big fella but is a long-term project.Left guardStarter: Robert JonesBackups: Connor Colby, Carver Willis, Kion SmithThe 49ers really wanted Colby to run away with the job, but the second-year man stumbled a bit, and Jones, who started 30 games in four seasons for the Miami Dolphins, is next in line. We had Willis penciled in as the future starter at center, but he might get put on the fast track at left guard next month. Colby, meanwhile, worked as the second-team right guard Tuesday.CenterStarter: Jake BrendelBackups: Brett Toth, Drake Nugent, Doug Kramer Jr.Brendel is as solid as it gets. Toth, who started four games for the Philadelphia Eagles last season and has also played some at guard, has missed time recently with a concussion.Right guardStarter: Dominick PuniBackups: Colby, Willis, SmithPuni admittedly was better as a rookie than he was last year, as he said he didn’t adjust to defensive linemen quickly enough — he just thought he could keep beating them with the same moves. A jump up seems crucial here, as four games against the Rams’ and Seahawks’ imposing pass rushers loom large on the schedule.Right tackleStarter: Colton McKivitzBackups: Brandon Parker, Lowe, Isaac AlarconMcKivitz gets a little better each year, and the 49ers are in good shape at the tackle spots. Parker can fill in until Lowe gets back.DefenseDefensive endStarters: Nick Bosa, Mykel Williams (PUP)Backups: Keion White, Romello Height, Sam Okuayinonu, Ogbo Okoronkwo, Quinton Bell, Titus Leo, Xavier ThomasBosa, a 2019 draft pick, has never appeared in the preseason, and his streak won’t end Thursday. In fact, the top three on this list won’t play, given that Williams (ACL) isn’t practicing yet and White (adductor) has been out since the first week of training camp. That signals plenty of work for Height and Okuayinonu. One more significant injury at this spot would have team officials dialing up free agents, a list that includes former 49er Leonard Floyd and Bosa’s brother, Joey.Defensive tackleStarters: Osa Odighizuwa, Alfred CollinsBackups: CJ West, Gracen Halton, Sebastian Valdez, Bryson Eason, James Thompson Jr.Collins is steadily returning to form after offseason shoulder surgery, but West, a fourth-round pick a year ago, has logged the most first-team snaps next to Odighizuwa. If the 49ers keep five defensive tackles as expected, the last spot will go to an undrafted player: Valdez, Eason or Thompson. It might come down to which player flashes more in the preseason. After all, the 49ers would have to protect that player from being poached on cutdown day.LinebackerStarters: Fred Warner, Dre GreenlawBackups: Nick Martin, Tatum Bethune, Garret Wallow, Jaden Dugger, Luke Gifford, Larry Worth III, Jalen GrahamThis might be the toughest position to project. Warner and Greenlaw are the starters, of course, but the 49ers have used all sorts of combinations behind them in practice, with Bethune, Wallow, Dugger and Graham all getting opportunities to play middle linebacker when Warner is off the field. Keep an eye on Dugger, Worth and Graham. Their long, lean body types weren’t en vogue under previous defensive coordinators but are something incoming coordinator Raheem Morris seems to value.K.J. Wright on his "star" pupil, LB Jaden DuggerMatt BarrowsCornerbackStarters: Deommodore Lenoir, Renardo Green, Upton StoutBackups: Jack Jones, Darrell Luter Jr., Ephesians Prysock, Nate Hobbs, Eli Apple, Jakob RobinsonThis has been another team strength in training camp as Lenoir, Green and Stout have flourished under Morris’ more aggressive approach to the position. (They were particularly pugnacious in Tuesday’s joint practice.) That trio might sit in the preseason opener, which would highlight Jones — who seems to get his hands on at least one pass per practice — the long-levered Prysock and backup nickelback Robinson.SafetyStarters: Ji’Ayir Brown, Marques SigleBackups: Malik Mustapha, Ashtyn Davis, Siran Neal, Jalen Stroman, Patrick McMorrisSigle added 10 pounds in the offseason and seems eager to throw that new weight around in 2026. For now, he’s ahead of Mustapha on the depth chart because of a hamstring strain that’s cost Mustapha the bulk of the summer practices. Brown, who’s entering the final year of his contract, has been consistently solid since the spring, though he’s unlikely to play against the Titans.Special teamsKicker: Eddy PiñeiroPunter: Corliss WaitmanLong snapper: Jon WeeksKick returner: Samuel, Guerendo, WatkinsPunt returner: Cowing, Watkins, PaulingThe 49ers have consistently said they’ll use 30-year-old Samuel as a kick returner, though it’s hard to see him being a full-time return man, and he certainly won’t do it in the preseason opener. Cowing entered camp as the top punt return prospect, but a hip flexor has cost him the past week and a half of practice. That at least cracks open the door for Pauling to capture a niche role and a roster spot.The 49ers waived rookie Jack Bouwmeester on Wednesday, leaving Waitman, a lefty, as their only punter. With so many injuries — and with most starters unlikely to play in the preseason opener — the team felt it could no longer keep two punters on the 90-man roster.