Which 53 players will make up the 49ers’ roster this season? Here are our projections
The 49ers’ brain trust on Wednesday was on hand for Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields’ pro day as they continue to mull over the options for the No. 3 overall pick.
Predictably, Fields impressed, as he did during his first pro day March 30. This time coach Kyle Shanahan, general manager John Lynch and quarterbacks coach Rich Scangarello were there to watch in person, and it’s likely the same group will travel to watch the second pro day for North Dakota State’s Trey Lance on Monday.
The jobs of Shanahan and Lynch are more far-reaching than just landing their next franchise quarterback. So let’s take another stab at projecting the team’s 53-man roster ahead of the draft.
And for continuity’s sake, we’ll use our full seven-round mock draft from earlier in the week to fill in the gaps where rookies have a chance to make the squad. (Rookies denoted with asterisks.)
Quarterback (3)
Jimmy Garoppolo
Trey Lance* (Round 1, pick No. 3)
Nate Sudfeld
We’re sticking with Lance as the pick at No. 3 because he provides the most upside for Shanahan to work with. That could allow the team to keep Garoppolo as the starter and help rebuild his trade value that bottomed out after his injured-plagued 2020 season. Keeping Garoppolo helps in two ways, whereas trading him now would force the rookie into action while getting a trade package that would be significantly less than if Garoppolo performed well in 2021 as he auditioned for other teams. Sudfeld was signed April 7 and has a leg up on Josh Rosen and Josh Johnson for the third spot on the depth chart.
Running back (4)
Raheem Mostert
Kyle Juszczyk (FB)
Jeff Wilson Jr.
Elijah Mitchell* (Round 7, No. 230)
Mostert and Wilson are out to have better seasons after both dealt with multiple high ankle sprains in 2020. There’s an outside chance the 49ers invest in a running back prospect earlier than Round 7, where the team added Mitchell in our mock. Mitchell, who played at Louisiana, is a one-cut runner with 4.33 speed that would be a strong complement to the group. Drafting him in the last round could be good value and prevent the team from having to try landing another running back as an undrafted free agent.
Wide receiver (6)
Deebo Samuel
Brandon Aiyuk
Richie James Jr.
Jalen Hurd
Shi Smith* (Round 5, No. 155)
Trent Sherfield
Smith, a former teammate of Samuel at South Carolina, would give the team an athletic, shifty, hard-nosed option as a slot receiver that would compete with James right away for the third receiver role vacated by Kendrick Bourne. The 49ers would love to see Hurd healthy and play for the first time in his career. The 2019 third-round pick hasn’t taken a snap since suffering a back injury during his first preseason and then tearing his ACL before he could take part in a training camp practice last summer. Hurd showed off unique physicality for the position, leaving some to believe he has a chance to convert to tight end. In the meantime, the 49ers hope he can contribute at receiver. Sherfield was signed from the Arizona Cardinals to offer the 49ers a special teams ace as a gunner.
Tight end (4)
George Kittle
Ross Dwelley
Charlie Woerner
Jordan Reed (available free agent)
Yes, there’s a good chance the 49ers take another shot at Reed, who played well when healthy in 2020. He could be an addition the team makes after the draft. San Francisco would love a chance to see Reed in action alongside Kittle, as that combination never materialized last season due to injuries to both. Dwelley and Woerner will compete for backup duties.
Offensive line (8)
Trent Williams
Laken Tomlinson
Alex Mack
Daniel Brunskill
Mike McGlinchey
Colton McKivitz
Justin Skule
Ben Garland (available free agent)
We didn’t find a good match at any point in our mock draft to add an offensive lineman. Even so, the 49ers have experienced backups in McKivitz and Skule. Garland is another player that would make sense to bring back for depth after the draft if the team doesn’t find a center to develop for the long haul. Brunskill could have his hands full in a competition with McKivitz for the starting spot, which is likely going to be the only battle for a roster spot along the offensive line.
Linebacker (4)
Fred Warner
Dre Greenlaw
Azeez Al-Shaair
Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles
We couldn’t find a linebacker in the draft either, leaving the 49ers with four familiar faces at the position. The expectations for Warner are sky high after his first All-Pro season in 2020 and Greenlaw has the talent and range to take a step toward Pro Bowl consideration in his third season. Al-Shaair improved in 2020, his NFL second season, but don’t be surprised if the team brings in a mid-round prospect to compete with him for a starting role. Flannigan-Fowles, a former safety, is an intriguing athlete that will be used primarily on special teams.
Defensive end (5)
Nick Bosa
Dee Ford
Samson Ebukam
Cameron Sample* (Round 3, No. 102)
Jonathon Cooper* (Round 5, No. 180)
We invested two draft picks at defensive end, given the importance of the position and needed depth should injuries pop up again like they did in 2020. Sample was a three-year starter at Tulane while Cooper was a two-time captain at Ohio State, where he was Bosa’s teammate. Both could be relied on heavily now that Kerry Hyder is with the Seattle Seahawks and the team would prefer to have Arik Armstead play along the inside, where he led the team in sacks during the Super Bowl campaign in 2019.
Defensive tackle (6)
Arik Armstead
Javon Kinlaw
D.J. Jones
Zach Kerr
Kevin Givens
Kentavius Street
There’s a lot on Kinlaw’s shoulders after being drafted to take the spot of DeForest Buckner, who was an All-Pro last season for the Indianapolis Colts. Kinlaw no longer has the excuse of being a rookie. San Francisco’s defense has little chance of being as good as it needs to be if Kinlaw doesn’t live up his immense talent and physical gifts. Kerr could be a valuable addition, particularly given Jones’ history of ankle issues. Givens’ immediate future is uncertain following his offseason legal issues, while Street finds himself at the bottom of the depth chart with a chance to contribute inside and outside.
Cornerback (6)
Jason Verrett
Emmanuel Moseley
K’Waun Williams
Asante Samuel Jr.* (Round 2, No. 43)
Tre Brown* (Round 4, No. 117)
Ken Webster
Like defensive end, adding cornerbacks is paramount in this draft given the departures of Richard Sherman and Ahkello Witherspoon, two prominent members of the depth chart the last few seasons. Samuel, from Florida State, is one of many corners the 49ers could be eyeing in Round 2, and given his size (5-foot-10, 180 pounds), he compares favorably to Verrett (5-10, 188) and Moseley (5-11, 184), who both play bigger than their frames with good cover skills. Brown, an Oklahoma alum, was a three-year starter on the outside who could transition to playing nickel, which might be needed should Williams leave in free agency in 2022.
Safety (4)
Jimmie Ward
Jaquiski Tartt
Tarvarius Moore
Joshua Bledsoe* (Round 5, No. 172)
Tartt was among a handful of free agents — joining Verrett, Williams and Jones — to come back on below-market deals because of the shrinking salary cap. He figures to compete with Moore for a starting job, though don’t be surprised if San Francisco tries three-safety looks on third down. Bledsoe (5-11, 204) started the last two seasons for Missouri and could play either safety spot or be used in the slot. He specialized in playing near the line of scrimmage for the Tigers.
Specialists (3)
Robbie Gould (K)
Mitch Wishnowsky (P)
Taybor Pepper (LS)
Wishnowsky improved his touchback rate on kickoffs from 51% as a rookie to 63% while increasing his yards per punt from 44.9 to 46.9. Gould signed a revised contract for the next two seasons paying $7.25 million guaranteed. He’ll be 40 by the end of his contract. Pepper signed a two-year contract in February.
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This story was originally published April 15, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
