The San Francisco 49ers are starting a new era this season. The franchise has handed down the starting quarterback job to Trey Lance despite Jimmy Garoppolo remaining on the roster. While the Niners and Garoppolo seem to be working together to find a trade, there does not seem to be a rush on the situation. Regardless, the team will head into the regular season with the intention of contending. The 49ers are still regarded as contenders this season even with the lack of experience with Trey Lance.

While Trey Lance has the starting quarterback position locked up, the same cannot be said across their entire roster. Here are two of the current first-stringers who should not feel settled about their role heading into next season.

49ers first-stringers in danger of losing starting jobs in 2022

Center- Daniel Brunskill

One of the biggest positions of uncertainty on the 49ers is the offensive line. Alex Mack elected to retire just prior to minicamp which is a massive blow to the team. The Pro Bowler played a valuable role on the team last season and leaves some massive shoes to fill.

As things currently stand, Daniel Brunskill is listed as the starting center heading into next season. However, this also opens up a hole at right guard as Brunskill was the primary starting right guard last season. While this may not be as much of a concept of Daniel Brunskill losing his job rather than where he is used best, it feels as if the team is just looking to move their holes around in an attempt to minimize the damage. Brunskill does have experience at center so it will be interesting to see how it shakes out.

It was originally expected that Jake Brendel would be able to step in as a starter. The journeyman began his career with the Dolphins but has started just three games in his career. The 49ers also added Dohnovan West as an undrafted free agent this year who was regarded as one of the higher-caliber undrafted players. Kyle Shanahan has been hesitant to trust young players at the center position and it would be quite the leap for him to spend time on the field in year one.

The bottom line is that there is still a great deal of fluidity in the 49ers' offensive line. The 49ers were considered to have the 14th best unit last season but have seen some notable changes. Especially considering Trey Lance taking the role under center this is especially an area of concern. Daniel Brunskill is sure to play a vital role in the unit but moving him around could create more questions than answers.

Running Back- Elijah Mitchell

Another key storyline surrounding the 49ers is how the running game will look. The franchise is looking to lighten the workload on Deebo Samuel and have him play more of a pure wide receiver role. Samuel recently inked a new contract and the organization is sure to make his health a priority.

As things currently look, Elijah Mitchell is projected to be the starting running back. This may not mean much as the 49ers have done a nice job rotating running backs over the past few seasons. In his rookie season, Mitchell received 207 rush attempts and ran for 963 yards and five touchdowns. This was by far the most on the Niners last season despite him only playing in 11 games. Deebo Samuel received 59 rush attempts compared to the 121 targets although he did lead the team in rushing touchdowns with eight. 

The 49ers also spent a third-round pick on Tyrion Davis-Price. The LSU product could have a chance at earning some primary touches this season. Davis-Price eclipsed 1000 yards rushing last season in college and ranked 6th in the entire SEC in rushing. Second-year pro Trey Sermon will also likely find himself in the mix this year despite his disappointing opening year. In the nine games that he played in, Sermon had just 41 rush attempts for 167 yards despite being listed as the starter for two games. The 49ers have spoken fairly highly about him and still have hope for the young back so he is still a name to watch.

It looks as if there may not be a concrete answer for the top running back in San Francisco this season. The 49ers have a variety of options who each have their own individual strengths and weaknesses in their games. Elijah Mitchell may be listed at the top of the chart but expect multiple guys to play a role in the ground attack.