Anthony Miller and Brian Hill provide the San Francisco 49ers depth.

As the San Francisco 49ers prepare for their preseason finale against the Los Angeles Chargers Friday night, general manager John Lynch has been busy looking for depth.

I focused on some needs on the offensive and defensive lines following San Francisco’s win over the Denver Broncos this past Saturday. While the 49ers might still look to address those positions, they went in a different direction on Monday.

The 49ers announced that they have signed veteran running back Brian Hill. In a corresponding move, San Francisco waived defensive lineman Tomasi Laulile.

According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, the 49ers have also added veteran wide receiver and slot guy Anthony Miller to the mix.

Neither of these signings can be considered needle movers in the truest sense of the term. Both Hill and Miller can be seen as mere depth options with San Francisco preparing for its Week 1 outing against the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, there’s an interesting backdrop to each signing.

San Francisco 49ers’ Depth At Wide Receiver

Veteran wide receiver and special teams ace Ray-Ray McCloud suffered a broken wrist during joint practice with the Las Vegas Raiders earlier in August. Seen as a potential top slot option with Jauan Jennings, McCloud is expected to miss the first several weeks of the regular season.

Meanwhile, second-year wide receiver Danny Gray suffered a right shoulder sprain Saturday against the Broncos. He’s likely going to miss the season opener against Pittsburgh.

Hence, the Miller signing. A second-round pick of the Chicago Bears out of Memphis back in 2018, Miller recorded 134 receptions for 1,564 yards and 11 touchdowns over the course of his first three NFL seasons. The 28-year-old pass catcher spent the 2021 season splitting time between the Houston Texans and Pittsburgh Steelers, catching just six passes in the process.

Back in August of last year, Miller was placed on injured reserve by the Steelers and missed the entire 2022 season. He signed a one-year extension with Pittsburgh back in January, only to be released earlier this summer.

Dating back to his days with Memphis, Miller has primarily lined up in the slot. He provides San Francisco speed and depth at that position with both McCloud and Gray sidelined.

The 49ers have seen rookie Ronnie Bell perform well through two preseason games. He has likely played his way on to the 53-man roster. It seems that Miller will be battling to break camp in San Francisco with the likes of veterans Willie Snead and Chris Conley.

Brian Hill Provides San Francisco 49ers Additional Depth

Running back shouldn’t be an issue for Kyle Shanahan’s squad in 2023. Pro Bowler Christian McCaffrey and stud youngster Elijah Mitchell headline things. Former undrafted free agent Jordan Mason played well as a rookie a season ago. Meanwhile, the 49ers are expecting big things from second year back Ty Davis-Price.

It’s likely that San Francisco signed Hill in order to give these running backs some time off heading into Week 1.

The former Atlanta Falcons fifth-round pick spent time with the 49ers back in 2021, seeing action on special teams in three games. Hill, 27, played this past spring with the St. Louis BattleHawks of the XFL.

Back in 2019 and 2020 with the Falcons, Hill recorded a combined 1,056 total yards and four touchdowns at a clip of five yards per touch.

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It stands to reason that Hill will vie for a spot on the 49ers’ practice squad with fellow veteran Jeremy McNichols, who signed earlier in August. I envision the 49ers keeping only four running backs on their final 53-man roster.

These two most-recent moves are primary examples of San Francisco staying proactive as it attempts to build out the best 53-man roster heading into the 2023 season. Whether either player makes much of an impact remains to be seen.