Saturday’s NFL preseason slate wraps up with a matchup between two playoff hopefuls in the 2025 season. The San Francisco 49ers and the Denver Broncos close out the proceedings with a fun showdown.
Both teams were big surprises in 2024. The Broncos shocked many by riding rookie QB Bo Nix and an elite defense to a 10-7 record and a playoff berth. The Niners surprised by falling apart at the seams, riddled with injuries and surprise regressions, missing the postseason entirely. Now, Denver will look to build on their success, while the 49ers seek to return to their contending ways.
The Broncos are seven-point favorites on the road in this game on the DraftKings Sportsbook. Denver is a -310 favorite on the moneyline, and the total is set at 34.5 points. Let’s get into a preview, prediction, and pick for this Broncos-49ers game.
Broncos Overview
There are two key offensive battles to watch in Denver’s preseason. The first is at receiver, where promising young second year player Troy Franklin will try to break into three-receiver sets by leapfrogging Marvin Mims Jr. on the outside. The second is in the backfield, where rookie second-round pick RJ Harvey and former Charger J.K. Dobbins will do battle for starting duties. With this great defense and a strong offensive line, that coveted RB1 spot will carry a lot of fantasy football value.
Defensively, there isn’t much to settle. Free agent additions Dre Greenlaw and Talanoa Hufanga, both coming from the Niners, arrive to beef up the secondary and linebacking corps. The defensive line is set, the rest of the linebackers locked in, and the secondary spoken for. Why change anything on the third-best defense in the league last year? First-round pick Jahdae Barron bears watching. He projects to start at nickel corner from day one, but should see snaps on the outside in preseason as the coaching staff tests his mettle against bigger receivers.
49ers Overview
The 49ers have one primary battle to win on offense: the battle with the trainers’ table. Brandon Aiyuk is on the shelf and likely to miss the beginning of the season. Jauan Jennings is injured as well and is seeking a contract extension. It leaves this wide receiver room wide open behind Ricky Pearsall, who is not a proven commodity himself. The first-round receiver from last year will get tons of snaps and targets, but what comes after him is the big question mark.
Demarcus Robinson, Equanimeous St. Brown, of podcast fame, and the artist formerly known as Robbie Anderson, arrive as veteran depth options. Their fourth-round picks from the last two drafts, Jacob Cowing and Jordan Watkins, will see a lot of time. Someone has to fill one of the outside receiver spots to start the year while Aiyuk recovers. Preseason will help settle that.
There are battles galore on the defense. There’s been a lot of attrition and a lot of replacements. Mykel Williams figures to start opposite Nick Bosa at defensive end, but he will need to prove himself in the preseason. Yetur Gross-Matos and new trade acquisition Bryce Huff will rotate in behind him, and Kyle Shanahan won’t hesitate to put a better-performing veteran over the rookie if he struggles.
They’ve also got a pair of rookie defensive tackles, CJ West and Alfred Collins, vying for snaps. The two will get rotational work and could usurp starting duties sooner than later. On the outside, there’s a battle at nickelback between Tre Brown and rookie Upton Stout. The linebacker spots are spoken for with all-world LB Fred Warner, and camp breakout star Dee Winters, but rookie Nick Martin will see time there as well.
It’s going to be a hectic preseason for the 49ers’ defense. There is a lot of talent in this group and some established stars, but much of the hierarchy is yet to be determined.
Game Preview
There’s going to be a lot of backup QB action in this one. It makes little sense for Bo Nix or Brock Purdy to play significant snaps, so get ready for a former Pat showdown between Jarrett Stidham and Mac Jones. But, as things go in preseason, it matters when you have positional battles. Undecided spots mean more snaps for good players. And that edge decidedly goes to the 49ers.
The receiver group is a significant uncertainty. The defensive line outside of Bosa is no guarantee. They have a lot of depth at linebacker and corner, with players needing time to shine, and some veteran additions making first impressions. This game is more of a tune-up for Denver than it is an audition. I trust the depth and uncertainty of the Niners’ pieces to deliver a victory in this one as home underdogs.
