One of our favorite exercises to do is to make a 53-man projection after the San Francisco 49ers’ first preseason game. The majority of starters generally sit out Week 1, giving us an extended view of the second and third stringers that’ll make up the bottom of the roster.
We went over the winners and losers against the Denver Broncos, as well as the three stars. We also did the bubble watch for offense. We’ll put all of those together and tie them into our 53-man roster.
Quarterbacks (2): Brock Purdy, Mac Jones
The 49ers tipped their hand after releasing Tanner Mordecai (the first time) for Carter Bradley, that they have zero intentions of keeping more than two quarterbacks. After watching Mordecai and Bradley in Week 1, you can understand why.
Running back (5): Christian McCaffrey, Isaac Guerendo, Jordan James, Patrick Taylor, Kyle Juszczyk
The more I think about it, the more I believe we’ll see Juszczyk return to the role of running back, and potentially a third-down back if McCaffrey isn’t on the field. Kyle Shanahan is going to play the player that he trusts. That’s Juszczyk.
Guerendo’s home run ability will always give him a shot. However, those injuries are giving the second-year back a shorter and shorter leash. The 49ers need to see what James can do outside of a practice setting. Taylor will do most of his work on special teams.
Corey Kiner makes the practice squad much like Cody Schrader did a season ago. Both went undrafted for a reason. The 49ers did not miss Schrader, and they won’t miss Kiner if he gets poached. Those kinds of backs are a dime a dozen. When you don’t have another gear, like Guerendo does, you have to do something to separate yourself. In James’ case, it’s his vision. That didn’t seem to be the case with Kiner against Denver.
Wide receiver (6): Ricky Pearsall, Jauan Jennings, Jordan Watkins, Jacob Cowing, Russell Gage, Junior Bergen
I’m expecting the 49ers to keep an extra wide receiver with so much uncertainty at the position. Jennings has a calf injury and a contract dispute. Demarcus Robinson is likely to be suspended for three games. Brandon Aiyuk lands on the PUP in this exercise.
Watkins had six targets and Gage had four, leading the way for the 49ers in the preseason. Bergen makes the roster as the returner, while Cowing’s role grows as a receiver in Year 2. Gage is likely the “emergency” wideout who will have to play special teams.
Tight end (4): George Kittle, Luke Farrell, Jake Tonges, Brayden Willis
This position seems straightforward. Willis makes the roster for special teams reasons, as he’s more athletic than Ross Dwelley. Tonges probably plays on multiple special teams units as well. I wouldn’t rule out Farrell doing the same, but if the 49ers are going to live in more 12 personnel — which would make sense with the question marks at wideout — then Farrell would need to be fresh for offense.
George Kittle should have a career high in targets in 2025. It should get to the point where it feels excessive how much the 49ers are targeting him.
Offensive line (8): Trent Williams, Ben Bartch, Jake Brendel, Dominick Puni, Colton McKivitz, Spencer Burford, Nick Zakelj, Austin Pleasants
Another unit that we don’t need to spend much time on. The starters are locked in, while the backups are insurance at tackle. Zakelj’s positional versatility gets him the nod.
Andre Dillard is fighting an uphill battle as he was just activated from the PUP with an ankle injury. Connor Colby and Drew Moss are destined for the practice squad, while Matt Hennessy, being able to play only one position, bites him in the rear.
Defensive line (10): Nick Bosa, Mykel Williams, Jordan Elliott, Bryce Huff, C.J. West, Alfred Collins, Yetur Gross-Matos, Sam Okuayinonu, Kalia Davis, Sebastian Valdez
This number could change if Gross-Matos isn’t healthy enough to start the season. That would be disappointing and a big blow to the edge rushing depth. As it stands, Bosa, Huff, and Sam O are the only true edge rushers. Williams figures to play a little bit of everything, so I wouldn’t pigeonhole him into an edge rusher.
Elliott is hurt in the preseason, and you’re relying on two rookie defensive tackles. That’s why it makes sense to go heavy on defensive tackles. Davis and Valdez played well enough to earn a roster spot in the first preseason game.
Linebacker (5): Fred Warner, Dee Winters, Luke Gifford, Tatum Bethune, Nick Martin
Fred Warner’s durability allows the 49ers to skimp at linebacker. If Winters can stay healthy, there’s little reason to keep more than five linebackers. Gifford, Bethune, and Martin will live on special teams, while Gifford is likely the third linebacker on base downs.
Curtis Robinson, Chazz Surratt, and Stone Blanton aren’t out of the picture yet, but they are more than likely practice squad players who could get called up on game day.
Cornerback (6): Deommodore Lenoir, Renardo Green, Upton Stout, Dallis Flowers, Chase Lucas, Darrell Luter Jr.
I don’t believe Robert Saleh will play it safe in the secondary. The Niners signed a slew of veteran defensive backs this offseason, and nobody has threatened any of the first-teamers yet. Keeping Tre Brown would be safe. Letting Luter Jr. walk with his skill set would be a mistake in my opinion. One has already failed as a pro. The other has not.
Lucas might have earned a roster spot off one preseason game alone, while Flowers had been consistent enough in camp, where allowing one pass against Denver isn’t the end of the world.
If Stout is as good as advertised, and Green is healthy, Flowers, Lucas, and Luter are the best athletes who can help in multiple areas. Speed on special teams can solve a lot of problems, and this is a team that is not short on special teams issues.
Safety (4): Ji’Ayir Brown, Jason Pinnock, Marques Sigle, Richie Grant
Shanahan didn’t know when Malik Mustapha would return on Monday. That’s a sign he could start the season on the PUP list. That’s a bigger loss than what’s being made, as Mustapha is an eraser that takes pressure off whoever is playing next to him at safety.
I want to see Brown play in Saleh’s defense. He’s not a fan favorite after some shoddy tackling last season, but Brown has the playmaking ability to really help this defense on the back-end.
Sigle is the wild card. At Kansas State, he struggled in man coverage. But you can’t deny Sigle’s superb athleticism, and with the proper teaching and scheme, that type of player tends to do well when surrounded by the right pieces. Sigle’s closing speed was on full display against the Broncos, so it’s no surprise he’s getting reps with the starters this week.
Grant gets the nod for what he’ll do on special teams, while Pinnock figures to start, regardless of Mustapha’s status. I wonder how long of a leash Pinnock will have if the mistakes add up during the season. Will Saleh let the veteran fail the same way he would the rookie Sigle?
Special teams (3): Jake Moody, Thomas Morstead, Jon Weeks
Moody is in a competition with himself. However, maybe we should be focusing on the punter. Morstead had five punts with a net of 33 yards and allowed a big return. His longest was 44 yards. Each of those numbers is subpar.
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