When the San Francisco 49ers open training camp next week, they’ll welcome the largest rookie class of the Kyle Shanahan\u2013John Lynch era. Eleven draft picks, plus six undrafted free agents, a total of 17 rookies. Not since 2016 has the organization brought in such a big influx of first-year talent, a reality that has challenged the locker room’s leaders to raise the bar when it comes to mentorship.<\/p>\n
Fullback Kyle Juszczyk<\/a>, entering his ninth season with San Francisco, says the veterans recognized early on that this offseason would require a different approach.<\/p>\n “It’s always an emphasis that you want to bring the guys along, but this year more than any,” Juszczyk told Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area<\/a>. “That was kind of a fun, unique challenge.”<\/p>\n The 49ers leaned into that challenge even before OTAs began. Juszczyk shared that he and running back Christian McCaffrey<\/a> were already discussing the importance of guiding the rookies back in February and March.<\/p>\n “I remember Christian and I texting… We were like, we need to take this to another level of bringing these guys along because we’re going to need them,” Juszczyk said. “And I think we got some of the right guys for the job.”<\/p>\n For veterans like Juszczyk, this offseason also provided something rare: extra time to recover before ramping up training. That reset allowed the team to fully recharge and enter camp with renewed energy.<\/p>\n “This offseason we had more rest than usual, so I was able to really take that time to heal from last season and then get into some really hard training,” he said. “Years prior, that was kind of sped up a little bit\u2026 But it feels like it’s been so long since last offseason that I’m so ready to play. I was so excited once we did get to the hard training to do that. So it’s been a great offseason, honestly.”<\/p>\n That readiness has extended into his evaluation of the rookies. Juszczyk pointed to fourth-round wide receiver Jordan Watkins<\/a> and the 49ers rookie defensive linemen as examples of first-year players making early impressions.<\/p>\n