A complete projection of the 2021 49ers roster, including practice squad candidates.
This is a championship caliber roster.
Ahead of the third and final preseason game, the roster is very close to being decided. It’s a lot easier to pin down roster locks, easy cuts, and more. What could the 49ers roster look like, come Week 1?
Italics denote a player on the practice squad.
QB (3):
Jimmy Garoppolo
Trey Lance
Nate Sudfeld
With Josh Rosen’s release after the first preseason game against the Chiefs, the QB room has been all but decided. Kyle Shanahan has once again indicated his desire to keep three quarterbacks on the roster, as he’s done in past years with the 49ers.
Garoppolo is highly likely to open the season as the starter, although Kyle Shanahan has still not closed the book on Trey Lance surprising, and neither has John Lynch. The latter stated that the starting position is up to Shanahan to decide, indicating that it has not been decided yet. In addition, Lynch also stated that Lance has pushed Garoppolo for the starting job. Shanahan indicated weeks ago that it only becomes a competition when Lance begins to get starting reps. On the second day of joint practices, Trey Lance indeed got his first reps (passing) with the 1st team against the Chargers 1st team, and looked good, completing three passes on three attempts and leading a scoring drive.
Contrast this to the point-blank attitude that Matt Nagy and the Bears have displayed with their QB situation: Nagy stated that Andy Dalton will be the Week 1 starter over Justin Fields, rather than dance around as Shanahan and Lynch have done, using language like “I’d be surprised if Trey started Week 1” and other answers that don’t commit the 49ers towards any situation.
Still, this late in the offseason, it’s unlikely that Lance will start Week 1. But don’t be surprised if he takes over early.
As for the QB3 spot, Nate Sudfeld has impressed in camp and clearly outplayed Josh Rosen. He’s got the QB3 job on lock. A favorite of Rich Scangarello, Sudfeld hasn’t had the best start to his career - so if somehow, in a disastrous scenario, Sudfeld takes over, don’t expect much. He’s an average QB3.
RB (4):
Raheem Mostert
Trey Sermon
Jeff Wilson Jr*
Elijah Mitchell
JaMycal Hasty
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Wayne Gallman
Of the five running backs in contention to make the roster, surprisingly, it’s Hasty that has looked the best in his limited snaps. Mostert is obviously a lock and has seldom been used in preseason and in training camp, and for good reason. Trey Sermon still seems to be adjusting to the game speed of the NFL, but has not looked bad, and Mitchell was impressive in camp until he went down with a minor, short-term injury. Wayne Gallman hasn’t impressed, and although he’s a solid veteran, he’s also had fumble issues at the mesh point with zone-reads, a problem that has not been mentioned often for the other RBs on this roster. Still, Gallman was a late season signing and could easily be replaced or stashed on the practice squad. Trying to sneak Hasty on the practice squad will likely prove harder.
Wilson Jr remains on the PUP, but could be back in the mid-late stages of this season. He’d likely kick Hasty off the roster, but we’ll see.
FB (1):
Kyle Juszczyk
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Josh Hokit
No explanation is needed. The man affectionately known to most as “Juice”, Jusczcyk is without a doubt, the best FB in the league, and is integral to the pro-style attack that Kyle Shanahan deploys. An outstanding blocker, quality pass-catcher, and solid player all-around.
As for Hokit, who in this projection is on the practice squad, Hokit has shown good things throughout camp and now in the preseason thus far. The 49ers could continue to groom him on their practice squad, and have him as an emergency option in case Jusczcyk goes down.
TE (3):
George Kittle
Ross Dwelley
Charlie Woerner
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Jordan Matthews
Kittle and Dwelley are locks. Kittle is the best TE in football (nope, not 2nd), and Dwelley has been outstanding throughout camp and has flashed in the preseason as well. As for the final TE spot, it’s clearly up to Woerner or Mycole Pruitt, and I’m giving the edge to the draft pick, and the (supposed) better blocker. Woerner also has some production in the preseason thus far, whereas Pruitt was out for most of training camp. Pruitt might actually be a better blocker than Woerner, but Woerner has the benefit of being a younger player who was also drafted by the current CS. I don’t think the 49ers will give up on a 2nd year player that quickly, especially when he hasn’t been that bad either - and besides, a TE3 is likely to play sparingly anyways.
As for the practice squad, Matthews is the ideal candidate, not Pruitt. Pruitt’s skillset too closely fits Woerner, which would be useless to have two of the same type on the roster. Matthews is versatile, more of a WR than a TE, and he’s been seen lining up at RB, TE, and slot WR throughout camp. He’s athletic and has a lot of production - he’s the ideal veteran practice squad candidate, ready to call up if there is an injury at TE or at WR.
OL (9):
LT: Trent Williams, Jaylon Moore — Shon Coleman
LG: Laken Tomlinson, Colton McKivitz
C: Alex Mack — Jake Brendel
RG: Daniel Brunskill, Aaron Banks
RT: Mike McGlinchey, Tom Compton
Williams, Tomlinson, Mack, Brunskill, McGlinchey, Moore, and Banks are locks. There’s likely two, if not one spot left after that, the 49ers only kept 8 offensive lineman on their initial roster last season. McKivitz and Compton are the front-runners. McKivitz has an upper edge as another depth interior lineman, over players like Jake Brendel, Senio Kelemete, and Dakoda Shepley. As for the other tackle backup spot, it’s clearly up to Compton or Shon Coleman, and I could see it going either way, but Compton’s added experience inside may give him the upper hand on Coleman.
Either way, Coleman should be the ideal practice squad candidate to play tackle on either side, and the same can be said for Jake Brendel, who can play center or guard in a pinch.
WR (6):
Brandon Aiyuk
Deebo Samuel
Trent Sherfield
Mohamed Sanu
Jauan Jennings
Travis Benjamin
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Jalen Hurd
Nsimba Webster
The depth at WR is by far the most troubling part of the roster, save for the right guard position. While Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel are great as a WR1-WR2 duo, everything else after that is highly questionable. Mohamed Sanu is the most proven option left, and Sanu has been declining fast since being traded to New England. He could bounce back, but he’s not to be relied upon nor is he a dynamic slot weapon. If Deebo Samuel is injured for a couple of weeks, which sadly is highly possible, Sanu isn’t giving anyone comfort.
Trent Sherfield, however, is different. Sherfield has been a favorite target of every QB in camp, and has shined in preseason with multiple deep receptions. He’s clearly cemented his roster spot and should be the WR3. Jauan Jennings has played well in camp and in the preseason as well, and he’s likely to make the roster as a big slot WR as well.
Which leaves the 6th spot up for grabs. Following River Cracraft’s release, this spot is up to three players: Travis Benjamin, Nsimba Webster, and Richie James Jr. While Webster is an explosive returner, he has a total of 0 regular season receptions. Shanahan has already made it clear that the WR6 will play. Webster isn’t ideal in that sense. This spot, to me, is down to Benjamin or James Jr, and the latter is all but gift wrapping the job to Benjamin with his propensity for drops and weak effort in the run game. There is no way that Jalen Hurd is getting the WR6 job, save for a herculean game against the Raiders, which we don’t even know if he will play.
Still, Benjamin is an upgrade waiting to happen. Both Kenny Stills and Golden Tate remain free agents and both would be massive upgrades on Benjamin. The Dolphins just released two intriguing receivers that would also be upgrades: Isaiah Ford and Robert Foster. The latter is more interesting because of his physical gifts, Foster is taller than Ford, around the same size, but runs a 4.41 as compared to Ford who runs a 4.61. Both Ford and Foster would also be better options than anyone else left at WR6, but Foster provides special teams value. The same can be said with regards to preferring Stills over Tate.
Make no mistake, Foster and Ford are just the first of many cuts that will happen over the next few weeks as teams cut down to their final rosters. Many teams are too deep at WR and there will be talent available, the question is whether the 49ers will choose to upgrade. There are many players that could be available. Other candidates around the league include but are not limited to:
Jaydon Mickens, TB
John Ross III, NYG
Dante Pettis, NYG
David Sills IV, NYG
CJ Board, NYG
Laquon Treadwell, JAX
Tavon Austin, JAX
Pharoah Cooper, JAX
Binjimen Victor, BAL
Deon Cain, BAL
Miles Boykin, BAL
Taywan Taylor, HOU
Dezmon Patmon, IND
Tarik Black, IND
Tyler Vaughns, IND
Racey McMath, TEN
Seth Williams, DEN
Kendall Hinton, DEN
Tyrie Cleveland, DEN
Marcell Ateman, OAK
Javon Wims, CHI
Riley Ridley, CHI
Sage Surratt, DET
Equanimeous St. Brown, GB
All of these players would be intriguing late additions to a roster with a dearth of WR depth.
DL (10):
DE: Arik Armstead, Arden Key, Jordan Willis* — Alex Barrett
DT: Javon Kinlaw, Maurice Hurst, Kentavius Street — Kevin Givens
NT: DJ Jones, Zach Kerr — Darrion Daniels
LEO: Nick Bosa, Dee Ford, Samson Ebukam
The defensive line room is all but set. Bosa, Ford, Armstead, Kinlaw, Ebukam are all locks. Key and Willis are basically locks, but Willis won’t count towards the roster until his suspension is up. That gives the 49ers an extra spot. Mo Hurst will make the roster, as will Zach Kerr, Kerr being the only other true nose tackle on the roster not named DJ Jones.
That gives the 49ers one more spot, the 10th on this list, at least until Willis returns. This is clearly down to two players: Kentavius Street and Kevin Givens. Givens has played better throughout his career, but Street has the benefit of being a 4th round pick of this regime - there’s investment in him. Although it’s sunk cost at this point, Street has been one of the standouts both in camp and now in the preseason. Givens hasn’t been bad this offseason, but he had an off-field issue, which to be fair, was resolved. Still, the 49ers have a football reason to go with Street: He can play strong side defensive end in addition to the three-tech, and could possibly play nose tackle in a pinch. Street is a lot more versatile than Givens, the latter of whom matches with Hurst’s skillset. That’s not good for Givens because Hurst is better.
LB (5):
WILL: Dre Greenlaw, Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles
MIKE: Fred Warner, Jonas Griffith — Justin Hilliard
SAM: Azeez Al-Shaair
Warner and Greenlaw are locks, and Al-Shaair most likely is too - he isn’t a great player by any means, but he’s been solid in the SAM role that he's played in the past. The backup jobs are up to a handful of undrafted free agents, as the 49ers LB scouting continues to impress. DFF has stood out in the preseason, as has Jonas Griffith, and they should get the nod over the other three LBs in contention, Justin Hilliard, Marcell Harris and Elijah Sullivan. However, Hilliard has flashed good play as well, and would be the ideal stash on the practice squad. DFF and Griffith can play interchangeably and can also play at SAM.
Marcell Harris, even at LB, is still not roster-worthy at this point. He takes poor angles routinely and cannot win in coverage, even against 3rd string offensive competition.
CB (6):
Jason Verrett
Emmanuel Moseley
K’Waun Williams
Deommodore Lenoir
Dontae Johnson
Ambry Thomas
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Davontae Harris
Alexander Myres
Verrett is an elite CB1, Moseley is a solid CB2. Williams is a great CB3. The starting lineup is pretty good at corner, the issue comes with the depth. While Deommodore Lenoir has thoroughly impressed in both camp and preseason, it’s not a good sign if Dontae Johnson touches the field, which he may have to, considering the injury history of Verrett and Williams. Ambry Thomas is talented but has looked extremely raw and rusty to open, which is no surprise. Thomas could become an elite press corner in the future, but right now, he’s extremely hit or miss when it comes to coverage. The volatility of his outcomes on any given play is far too much to let Thomas touch the field in an important game anytime soon.
Harris and Myres have both looked OK in preseason and camp, Harris has some experience playing games as well. Both are ideal practice squad candidates, ready to call up at a moment’s notice.
S (4):
FS: Jimmie Ward, Talanoa Hufanga, Tarvarius Moore* — Jared Mayden
SS: Jaquiski Tartt, Tavon Wilson — Ha Ha Clinton-Dix
Hufanga and Wilson can be seen as interchangeable, but Hufanga has seen far more work at free safety than strong safety both in camp and in the preseason, despite his skillset suggesting otherwise. Thankfully, Jaquiski Tartt has returned from his turf toe injury, and should take the 1st team job sooner rather than later. Tavon Wilson and Clinton-Dix should be ideal veteran safeties. Wilson can play at free safety as needed just as Hufanga can play at strong safety, and while Clinton-Dix is a box safety through and through, he’s still under 30 and a good veteran presence with experience in big games, a sure tackler. Clinton-Dix is another ideal veteran practice squad player though he’d likely get poached mid-season. However, I wouldn’t expect him to be taken during roster cuts - he was available at the end of training camp on the open market, he hasn’t garnered the interest you wouldn’t think.
Mayden has stuck around, the former Alabama CB is fast, tall, and has shown good tackling ability. While this could also be Nacua, with the lack of depth specifically at FS, I give the edge to Mayden for this practice squad spot. Mayden’s profile more closely matches one that would play there.
Surprisingly, Tarvarius Moore, who went down with a torn achilles early during the offseason, has only been placed on the PUP list and not the long term, season ending IR. He was not waived with an injury designation as Justin Skule was either. Both actions suggest that the 49ers are holding out hope that Moore could return late in the season, which might be possible because of how early his injury was. This wouldn’t be the first time a player returned very early from an achilles injury for the 49ers, look no further than Michael Crabtree who was back in 6 months.
Special Teams (3):
K: Robbie Gould
P: Mitch Wishnowsky
LS: Taybor Pepper
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KR: Travis Benjamin
PR: Brandon Aiyuk
No explanation needed, as all three of Gould, Wishnowsky, and Pepper are roster locks. Wish looked frighteningly bad in the first preseason game, but seems to have shaken off some early jitters and was fine in the second contest against the Chargers. Gould seems to be showing signs of decline, he’s missed a kick in both contests. Let’s hope that trend doesn’t continue, but the signs were there last season. That contract could get annoying.
Considering the cost of JimmyG keep a spot on the roster for Sudfeld seems a further waste of resources, I know KS said so, but I hope he think twice and maybe add a 7th WR. Probably the only uncertainties are at RB and S. About the QB1 position after the last weeks before the draft I don't make any speculation, KS really likes the suspance so everything is still possible. I would like to see more Trey than Jimmy, but the double QB idea rarely works, not only in NFL but in the most part of team sports (considering the key players).
Really dislike the idea of 3 QBs, there's really no reason to keep 3 on a team. There's no "what if the backup gets injured" argument because Shanahan has quite literally never had all 3 QBs suit up on game day. And if you're simply having the QB there in case of injury outside of game day you might as well have them on the practice squad. If there is an injury to QB1 (or 2) you can bring up your practice squad guy and put said QB on IR especially since it's only a 3 week stint, or shuffle other players as necessary. Having an extra RB or WR or hell any position that benefits from depth would be a much better player to keep on the team.