Analysis: 49ers final 53-man roster projection before final cuts

The 49ers Thursday finished their preseason with a 27-24 loss to the Chargers and ended the slate 3-1. Coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch have until Saturday at 1 p.m. local time to trim the roster from 90 to 53.

Here’s our final projection of their 53-man roster for Week 1 and 10-man practice squad.

Quarterback (3)

Jimmy Garoppolo, Nick Mullens, C.J. Beathard

Shanahan reiterated Thursday he would keep three quarterbacks. It seems unlikely the team would deal Beathard in a trade because they’re an injury away from needing a third quarterback on the roster. Mullens appears to have the backup job locked up.

Practice squad: Wilton Speight

Running back (5)

Tevin Coleman, Kyle Juszczyk, Matt Breida, Raheem Mostert, Jeff Wilson Jr.

Yes, Wilson received 20 carries in the finale, which typically wouldn’t bode well for his chances. But odds are he would be inactive Week 1 anyway, meaning he’ll have plenty of time to recover from Thursday’s game. The 49ers could use depth at running back with Jerick McKinnon ending up on injured reserve. Whether or not he gets the return designation depends on the health of his knee.

Injured reserve: Jerick McKinnon

Practice squad: Austin Walter

Cut: Brandon Wilds

Receiver (7)

Dante Pettis, Deebo Samuel, Marquise Goodwin, Trent Taylor, Jordan Matthews, Jalen Hurd, Richie James Jr.

Injuries to Taylor and Hurd mean the 49ers could use seven wideouts. James proved his value both as a pass-catcher and return man throughout the preseason. He and Matthews didn’t play much Thursday indicating they’re both likely to make it. The tough decision here came down to Kendrick Bourne, who was too inconsistent throughout August despite being the team’s most productive receiver in 2018.

Practice squad: Malik Henry

Cut: Kendrick Bourne, Chris Thompson, Nick Williams

Tight end (3)

George Kittle, Levine Toilolo, Ross Dwelley

Toilolo is the best blocker aside from Kittle. Dwelley didn’t play in the finale because Shanahan said he’s seen enough from the former undrafted rookie. Sixth-round pick Kaden Smith should clear waivers and head to the practice squad.

Practice squad: Kaden Smith

Active physically unable to perform list: Garrett Celek

Cut: Tyree Mayfield, Daniel Helm

Offensive line (8)

Joe Staley, Mike McGlinchey, Laken Tomlinson, Weston Richburg, Mike Person, Ben Garland, Sam Young, Daniel Brunskill

There isn’t much depth here which makes it imperative the starters stay healthy. Look for the 49ers to be active on the waiver wire looking for potential backups. They’ll be No. 2 in priority, which means they should be able to add the players they want.

Injured reserve: Shon Coleman

Practice squad: Ross Reynolds, Najee Toran, Justin Skule

Cut: Joshua Garnett, Wesley Johnson, Willie Beavers, Andrew Lauderdale

Linebacker (6)

Kwon Alexander, Fred Warner, Dre Greenlaw, Elijah Lee, Aziz Al-Shaair, Mark Nzeocha

Al-Shaair is worth keeping around. Nzeocha is a core special teams player and Lee could play any of the three spots. This is a strong group.

Practice squad: Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles

Cut: David Mayo, LaRoy Reynolds

Defensive line (8)

DeForest Buckner, Nick Bosa, Dee Ford, Arik Armstead, Solomon Thomas, Ronald Blair III, D.J. Jones, Sheldon Day

The 49ers will think about keeping Jullian Taylor but will ultimately decide he’s best on the practice squad. San Francisco badly needs this group to set the tone for the defense given all the resources invested.

Injured reserve: Kentavius Street

Practice squad: Jullian Taylor, Kevin Givens

Cut: Damontre Moore, Jordan Thompson, Jeremiah Valoaga, Jay Bromley, Jamell Garcia-Williams

Cornerback (6)

Richard Sherman, Ahkello Witherspoon, Jason Verrett, K’Waun Williams, D.J. Reed Jr., Emmanuel Moseley

The 49ers would be wise to keep Moseley and Reed because they can both play in the slot and outside. Injuries to Verrett (ankle) and Williams (knee) make having depth important.

Injured reserve: Tim Harris

Cut: Dontae Johnson, Quinten Rollins, Chris Campbell, Jordan Holland

Safety (4)

Jimmie Ward, Jaquiski Tartt, Tarvarius Moore, Marcell Harris

Giving Adrian Colbert the ax won’t be easy after he entered last season as the starter. The 49ers can play Ward at free safety and move him to the slot in sub packages allowing Moore to patrol the middle.

Cut: Adrian Colbert, Antone Exum Jr., Tyree Robinson

Specialists (3)

Robbie Gould, Mitch Wishnowsky, Colin Holba

The season of Wishnowsky can’t start soon enough.

Suspended: Kyle Nelson (PEDs)

This story was originally published August 30, 2019 at 12:33 AM.