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Three Standouts for the 49ers Versus the Raiders on Thursday
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- Three Standouts for the 49ers Versus the Raiders on Thursday
The San Francisco 49ers took the field at Allegiant Stadium against the Las Vegas Raiders for their final preseason game of 2026 on Thursday. Head coach Kyle Shanahan elected to rest his starters, going against his habit of treating his team's final preseason game of the year as a tune-up for the regular season.
This gave a number of young prospects plenty of opportunities to earn a roster spot, not to mention playing time in the regular season.
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After falling behind 6-0 in the first quarter, San Francisco fought back, and despite committing nine penalties that cost it 84 yards, it powered its way to an 18-12 victory. It will start its regular-season schedule on Sept. 10 in Melbourne, Australia versus the Los Angeles Rams .
On Thursday, three men stood out for the Red and Gold, and if they won't stick around for San Francisco, they may have at least earned themselves a job elsewhere in the NFL.
Tatum Bethune
Aug 27, 2026; Paradise, Nevada, USA; San Francisco 49ers linebacker Tatum Bethune (48) holds the ball on the sideline against the Las Vegas Raiders during the second quarter at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Over the last two seasons, Bethune was mostly a second-string off-ball linebacker for the Niners behind Dee Winters . Now that Winters is with the Dallas Cowboys , Bethune is still expected to be a backup, but he shone brightly versus Las Vegas .
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He had nine total tackles (three solo), one pass defended and one tackle for loss. In the first quarter, he intercepted a Fernando Mendoza pass attempt and took it back 16 yards, setting up a field goal by Eddy Piñeiro .
Last season, Bethune started eight of his 14 games after Fred Warner suffered a season-ending ankle injury. He ended up with 94 total tackles (39 solo), four tackles for loss and four passes defended.
Jaden Dugger
Aug 13, 2026; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers linebacker Jaden Dugger (53) waits to rush during the second quarter against the Tennessee Titans at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images
Dugger is someone who is competing for that third starting linebacker spot alongside Warner and Dre Greenlaw . On Thursday, he made a convincing case for himself with a team-high 10 total tackles (five solo) while also providing two quarterback hits, which also led everyone on the Niners.
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In the third quarter, Dugger blitzed Mendoza aggressively, evading a block in order to get a stop on a second down and five.
He was a fifth-round draft pick in April out of the University of Louisiana, where he posted 125 total tackles, 13 tackles for loss, four sacks and four passes defended while leading the Sun Belt Conference with 64 solo tackles last year.
Predictions are already pouring in from experts such as Chase Senior , Vic Tafur of The Athletic and David Lombardi of The San Francisco Standard that Dugger will not only make the final 53-man roster but also possibly start.
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Jordan Watkins
Aug 27, 2026; Paradise, Nevada, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jordan Watkins Jordan (17) catches the ball in front of Las Vegas Raiders defensive back Tristin McCollum (27) during the second half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Trim-Imagn Images
Watkins gave the Niners a lift offensively on Thursday with four catches for 64 yards, with most of that production coming after halftime. The wide receiver also took three carries for 27 yards while adding 48 yards on two kick returns and 14 yards on two punt returns.
Although he had just two catches for 26 yards last year as a rookie, he may be someone the Niners will want to keep on their final roster. Mike Evans , San Francisco's presumptive WR1, is nursing a groin injury, wideout Christian Kirk could start the season on injured reserve and Jacob Cowing has a groin ailment of his own.
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Aug 28, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
