San Francisco 49ers: 4 Winners, 3 losers from Preseason Week 2 vs. Broncos

Winner: Raheem Mostert, RB

Tevin Coleman started the game out hot and was impressive in that limited amount of work. Raheem Mostert, however, was the star of the running back group against Denver. Mostert took six carries for 58 yards and a touchdown on the night while also reeling in two catches for 42 yards. This is a deep running back group but Mostert has always impressed when given the chance, a trend that continued on Monday.

Loser: Joe Staley, OT

No one is going to question Joe Staley’s part of this offense. He’s been a stalwart at left tackle for the 49ers for quite some time and he’s continued to perform at a high level. On Monday, though, he looked overmatched by second-year pass-rusher Bradley Chubb. While Garoppolo didn’t help himself, the fact that he was pressured made life harder than it would’ve otherwise been and Staley’s lackluster showing against Chubb was a contributing factor to that.

Winner: Richie James, WR/KR

Richie James faces an uphill battle to get snaps with the 49ers offense, which makes his spot on the 53-man roster somewhat precarious. Guys like Deebo Samuel and Jalen Hurd seem to have more defined roles in this offense.

On Monday, though, James did the type of thing he needs to do to make his spot on the final roster secure. He had two kick returns for 80 yards on the night, including an impressive 48-yard effort. While the 49ers offense failed to capitalize, the fact that he can potentially provide a special teams spark gives him value for San Francisco.