The San Francisco 49ers have received good news at the most important position on the field, as Brock Purdy’s return from UCL surgery has been seamless. But injuries at other spots on the club’s roster — wide receiver, defensive line, and in the secondary — will force general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan to make a few tough decisions.
How will the 49ers reduce their roster to 53 players by the NFL‘s Aug. 29 cutdown date? Here’s what their depth chart could look like in Week 1.
San Francisco 49ers 53-Man Roster Projection
Quarterback
- In: Brock Purdy, Sam Darnold, Trey Lance
- Out: Brandon Allen
The 49ers’ starting quarterback situation hasn’t become much of a situation at all. Purdy has steadily recovered from the March surgery that repaired his torn ACL and is on track to start in Week 1 after handling a drive against the Broncos on Saturday.
Purdy was efficient, completing passes to all three of his top wideouts while going four of five for 65 yards. He also rushed for eight yards and nearly reached the end zone on his run, but he fell just short and was tackled at the 2-yard line.
A look at Brock Purdy’s opening drive to start the game pic.twitter.com/7iBPMZszCh
— Coach Yac 🗣 (@Coach_Yac) August 20, 2023
San Francisco’s other quarterbacks were productive against Denver, too. Darnold completed 11 of 14 attempts for 109 yards, one touchdown, and one interception before giving way to Lance, who had struggled in the 49ers’ first preseason game.
Lance threw for 173 yards against the Broncos while averaging 1.6 more yards per attempt than Darnold. He completed eight of 10 passes over his final two drives, including a 43-yard completion to Ronnie Bell that set up a game-winning field goal.
Lance and Darnold will both earn a spot on San Francisco’s 53-man roster. But the team might not sort out who’s QB2 and who’s QB3 until after their preseason finale.
Running Back
- In: Christian McCaffrey, Elijah Mitchell, Jordan Mason, Tyrion Davis-Price, Kyle Juszczyk (FB)
- Out: Jack Colletto, Brian Hill, Jeremy McNichols
McCaffrey will take all the work he can handle, but Mitchell has proven himself as one of the better No. 2 running backs in the league. While he was recently dealing with an abductor strain, Mitchell returned to practice on Monday.
Mason flashed last season when given opportunities, and the former undrafted free agent is ahead of Davis-Price on San Francisco’s depth chart. Still, both backs should make the roster based on their special teams responsibilities.
Wide Receiver
- In: Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, Jauan Jennings, Ronnie Bell, Chris Conley
- Injured Reserve: Ray-Ray McCloud, Danny Gray
- Out: Tay Martin, Dazz Newsome, Willie Snead, Isaiah Winstead
Samuel, Aiyuk, and Jennings were the 49ers’ top three receivers last season. No changes there.
But things are starting to get tricky further down the depth chart. McCloud, San Francisco’s primary returner, broke his wrist in early August. And Gray sprained the SC joint in his right shoulder against the Broncos.
Ronnie Bell is going to get regular season reps this year.
Nice ball by Lance too. pic.twitter.com/DUqyOlpxjk
— JP Acosta (Pug Dederson Stan Acct) (@acosta32_jp) August 20, 2023
Those injuries should open a path for Bell, the 49ers’ seventh-round pick who probably would have made the roster even without health questions ahead of him on the depth chart. Bell was sensational against Denver, hauling in seven of nine targets for 114 yards. Only the Browns’ Austin Watkins has more receiving yards through two preseason weeks.
Conley could now make San Francisco’s roster, too. However, because the 49ers must carry both McCloud and Gray onto their initial 53-man squad in order for them to be eligible to return later this season, Conley will likely get released at cutdowns before being quickly re-signed once McCloud and/or Gray are placed on IR.
Tight End
- In: George Kittle, Charlie Woerner, Cameron Latu, Brayden Willis
- Out: Ross Dwelley, Troy Fumagalli
Kittle remains arguably the best two-way tight end in the NFL, and the 49ers made a serious attempt to find him a tag-team partner by adding Latu in the third round and Willis in the seventh of this year’s draft.
Latu struggled during training camp, then fumbled his only reception in San Francisco’s first preseason game. But he made up for that dismal performance on Saturday by hauling in three receptions for 46 yards and a touchdown.
Lance to Latu for the score!
📺 #DENvsSF on KPIX
📱 NFL+ // https://t.co/KTh0i4oaLh pic.twitter.com/lzCUBpNS8A— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) August 20, 2023
With those three tight ends on the roster, there’s only room for one of Woerner and Dwelley. While Dwelley received $700,000 guaranteed this offseason, he’s three years older than Woerner, who also played more offensive and special teams snaps than Dwelley in 2022.
Offensive Line
- In: Trent Williams, Aaron Banks, Jake Brendel, Spencer Burford, Colton McKivitz, Jon Feliciano, Matt Pryor, Jaylon Moore, Nick Zakelj
- Out: Joey Fisher, Alfredo Gutierrez, Keith Ismael, Corey Luciano, Ilm Manning, Jason Poe, Leroy Watson
The 49ers weren’t afraid to enter last season with Banks, Brendel, and Burford as unproven starters along their offensive line. McKivitz is the inexperienced newcomer this year, as he’ll replace free agent departure Mike McGlinchey at right tackle.
Feliciano looks like the top backup interior lineman, and he could potentially split snaps with Burford at right guard. Both Pryor and Moore should make San Francisco’s initial roster — it’s unclear which player profiles as the No. 1 swing tackle, but Pryor’s track record could give him the edge.
Zakelj and Poe are likely competing for one spot. The loser of this battle should land a spot on the 49ers’ practice squad.
Defensive Tackle
- In: Arik Armstead, Javon Hargrave, Javon Kinlaw, Keith Givens
- Out: Marlon Davidson, Kalia Davis, Tomasi Laulile, T.Y. McGill, Spencer Waege
Hargrave, who inked a four-year, $84 million contract with the 49ers over the offseason, joins Armstead to give the 49ers one of the more dominant DT duos in the league. Kinlaw is on thin ice after San Francisco declined his fifth-year option for 2024, but he’ll make the roster as a rotational option.
Davis impressed the 49ers as an undrafted free agent in 2022 before tearing his ACL and missing the season. He’s supposed to return to action this week, but he’s missed so much time that’s it challenging to put him on San Francisco’s 53-man roster.
McGill has 55 career NFL games under his belt, and the 49ers might like that level of experience as depth. But he struggled in the club’s most recent preseason game and would need a solid effort in the finale to make the team.
EDGE
- In: Nick Bosa, Drake Jackson, Clelin Ferrell, Kerry Hyder, Austin Bryant
- Out: Alex Barrett, Robert Beal Jr., La’Darius Hamilton, Breeland Speaks
Bosa is currently on the reserve/did not report list as he stages a training camp holdout in anticipation of a contract extension that should make him the NFL’s highest-paid defender. But the 2023 campaign starts in fewer than three weeks. Will the 49ers get a deal done with Bosa in time?
San Francisco lost Charles Omenihu and Samson Ebukam to free agency, so Jackson — San Francisco’s second-round pick in 2022 — will get the first chance to start opposite Bosa, but he will face competition from Ferrell.
A bulked up Drake Jackson at the lectern today. He added about 13 pounds. “And I’m still going,” he said. pic.twitter.com/yIUsvcs0Nd
— Matt Barrows (@mattbarrows) May 31, 2023
Hyder’s ability to play defensive tackle will allow the 49ers to retain only four interior defenders. He might be another player that San Francisco cuts in a procedural move in order to get McCloud and/or Gray through to the initial 53.
Beal was one of two 49ers’ fifth-round picks in this year’s draft, but we just can’t find a spot for him on the roster. No team wants to give up on a player selected inside the top 180, but Beal has missed time with an injury this summer and hasn’t yet played in a preseason game. He’ll become an obvious practice squad addition.
Linebacker
- In: Fred Warner, Dre Greenlaw, Oren Burks, Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles, Marcelino McCrary-Bell
- Out: Curtis Robinson, Jalen Graham, Kyahva Tezino, Dee Winters
The 49ers are a linebacker factory. Warner and Greenlaw represent the best LB duo in the league, but San Francisco has plenty of depth behind them — to the point that they’re going to have to cut several contributors and/or draft picks.
Burks looks like the favorite to take over as the LB3 in place of Azeez Al-Shaair, who signed a free agent deal with the Titans over the offseason. Flannigan-Fowles received $1.25 million guaranteed from the 49ers this spring and should return based on his special teams prowess (276 snaps in 2022).
49ers rookie LB Dee Winters has some real sideline to sideline speed 👀 pic.twitter.com/UQGpJ2O8a3
— Brad (@Graham_SFN) August 15, 2023
The final spot should come down to either McCrary-Bell, Winters, or Graham. Winters, a rookie sixth-round pick, posted the NFL’s second-highest PFF linebacker grade last week, while McCrary-Ball was No. 14. Both Winters and Graham also forced fumbles in Week 2.
We don’t envy the 49ers having to make this decision at linebacker, and it won’t be a surprise if the players San Francisco doesn’t choose ultimately land with another team via waivers.
Cornerback
- In: Charvarius Ward, Deommodore Lenoir, Isaiah Oliver, Ambry Thomas, Samuel Womack III, D’Shawn Jamison
- PUP: Darrell Luter Jr.
- Out: Nate Brooks, Qwuantrezz Knight, A.J. Parker, Tre Swilling
Ward will be one of the 49ers’ starting outside cornerbacks. And Lenoir will be starting somewhere in the CB trio.
But how exactly San Francisco’s cornerback group will shake out remains unclear. Oliver, whom the 49ers signed this offseason after he spent four seasons with the Falcons, was supposed to be the club’s starting slot corner. But he’s struggled through two preseason games.
Oliver has $2.9 million guaranteed, so he’ll probably make the roster — but it might not be as a starter. On Saturday, the 49ers used Thomas at outside corner and Lenoir in the slot on their first defensive drive, potentially signaling a changing of the guard.
Luter, a fifth-round rookie, has been on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list all summer. Assuming he stays there into the regular season, Jamison — an undrafted rookie — should make the roster after flashing in coverage and demonstrating ability as a punt returner.
Safety
- In: Talanoa Hufanga, Tashaun Gipson, George Odum, Ji’Ayir Brown
- Out: Myles Hartsfield, Tayler Hawkins
Hufanga was a first-team All-Pro in his first season as a full-time starter and will again line up alongside Gipson in the 49ers’ secondary.
Odum played the second-most special teams snaps on San Francisco’s roster last year, while third-round rookie Brown looks like Gipson’s long-term replacement in the back end.
Specialists
- In: Jake Moody (K), Mitch Wishnowsky (P), Taybor Pepper (LS)
- Out: Zane Gonzalez (K)
The 49ers used a third-round pick on Moody, so they probably wouldn’t cut him even if his preseason results were disastrous. He missed two field goals in San Francisco’s opener, but one was from 58 yards.
Moody rebounded in Week 2, connecting on all three field goal attempts. He failed to convert his only extra-point opportunity, but the 49ers faithful can breathe for now.