Post-draft 49ers' depth chart: Projecting the 53-man cutdown of a crowded roster (2024)

It’s roster Tetris time.

The 49ers filled their 90-man roster to the brim with eight draft picks over the weekend. They then began doing some initial shuffling when the signing period for undrafted free agents began. As of now, there are 94 names on this roster because not all of the UDFA signings are official and some players previously on the roster will be waived.

In about four months, the 49ers will have to cut their roster to 53 players, so all of their recent moves have come with that in mind. The following depth chart does its best to factor in the realities of maneuvering with a deep and crowded roster.

Here’s the 49ers spreadsheet that I made to help you guys keep track of all this. It’s divided into a 53-man projection and a 90-man depth chart.

You should weigh the 90-man side more heavily when studying the 49ers’ UDFA strategy pic.twitter.com/DpbcSMLpFl

— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) May 1, 2021

The link to that interactive spreadsheet is here. The 49ers must also consider the salary-cap footprint of their 53-man roster, so we’ve created a second spreadsheet to track that. The interactive cap spreadsheet can be accessed here.

Players currently projected to make the 49ers’ 53-man roster are listed in the bolded slots below. Newly added rookies are italicized.

Offense

Quarterback

QB1: Jimmy Garoppolo
QB2: Trey Lance
QB3: Josh Rosen
Nate Sudfeld
Josh Johnson

Analysis:Even through months of outside noise and a monumental trade to ultimately grab Lance, the top spot remains Garoppolo’s. This has been the 49ers’ plan all along. Lance played only one game in 2020, so his most recent extended action came in 2019 at FCS-level North Dakota State. Shanahan anticipates needing time to work Lance into the mix, so prepare for Garoppolo to helm a bolstered QB room in 2021. Shanahan also confirmed Saturday that the 49ers have comfortably budgeted to fit Garoppolo’s $26.4 million salary-cap hit.

The 49ers will almost certainly carry three quarterbacks on the regular-season roster so that they don’t have to press Lance into duty before he’s fully able to protect himself on the field. Rosen and Sudfeld are frontrunners for the third spot. Sudfeld’s contract contains $14,000 per week of guarantees. That’s the veteran minimum for the practice squad, so that might be his destination.

The most intriguing question: Will Shanahan work Lance into games alongside Garoppolo as a gadget weapon? One can argue that Lance is too talented — and the 49ers spent too much capital for him — to remain unused on the bench.

Running back/fullback

RB1: Raheem Mostert
RB2: Jeff Wilson
RB3 (FB): Kyle Juszczyk
RB4:Wayne Gallman
RB5: Trey Sermon
Elijah Mitchell
JaMycal Hasty
Austin Walter
Josh Hokit (FB)

Analysis:Remember how hard it used to be to get on the Bay Bridge in downtown San Francisco during the afternoon rush hour? The 49ers have that type of traffic jam in their backfield. Expect Shanahan to carry five bodies on his 53-man roster — four running backs and one fullback. Mostert, Wilson, Gallman (a recent signee with excellent advanced numbers) and Sermon are in line to make the initial cut of running backs.

Sermon, a violent runner with the draft’s second-fastest 10-yard burst, immediately bolsters this group’s physical presence. It might take an injury (this position group has been hit hard recently) for Mitchell to fit on the 53-man.

Shanahan acknowledged that the 49ers weren’t initially planning to draft two running backs. But Mitchell’s top-notch athleticism — his 4.33 speed was second among all back prospects — was simply too good to pass up in the sixth round, so the 49ers will have to find their way around the traffic jam. Is there a carpool lane?

Wide receiver

WR1: Brandon Aiyuk
WR2: Deebo Samuel
WR3 (slot): Mohamed Sanu
WR4: Trent Sherfield
WR5: Richie James
WR6: Jalen Hurd
Jauan Jennings
Travis Benjamin
River Cracraft
Austin Proehl
Kevin White
Matt Cole
Austin Watkins

Analysis:After the draft, Shanahan said he’d be comfortable entering the season with his top six receivers but is also open to an upgrade. That won’t stop 49ers fans from pining for All-Pro Atlanta wideout Julio Jones since the Falcons have said they’re open to trading him. Landing Jones isn’t probable. But the 49ers will likely explore their possibilities, especially for that No. 3 receiver slot.

It is unlikely that Shanahan wants to enter the season with a 32-year-old Sanu, who’s been slowed by injury issues over the past two seasons, as his top slot receiver. The 49ers appear to be putting at least some faith in Hurd, who’s rehabbing from a torn ACL, when it comes to their plans there. Lynch said Saturday that the 49ers believe Hurd will be ready to go for the regular season.

But that’s a risky proposition, as is counting on Watkins — an undrafted free agent who’s the cousin of Ravens receiver Sammy Watkins — to make the team. Perhaps a budget veteran signing to insulate the position is on the horizon. Danny Amendola is still available.

Tight end

TE1: George Kittle
TE2: Ross Dwelley
TE3: Charlie Woerner
Daniel Helm
Josh Pederson

Analysis:Shanahan has typically carried four tight ends on his 53-man roster lately, but he left the draft with only four tight ends total in the building. Many expected the 49ers to draft depth at tight end, but they instead overfilled the offensive backfield and added only Pederson — an undrafted free agent and the son of former Eagles coach Doug Pederson — to the mix.

There’s not necessarily anything wrong with that since four months still remain before the regular season. The 49ers might still make a bigger move here. But for now, we can’t proclaim with certainty that Shanahan plans to carry his usual four tight ends. He might even use the extra roster spot to pack more depth onto another position group.

Offensive line

LT: Trent Williams
LG: Laken Tomlinson
C: Alex Mack
RG: Aaron Banks
RT: Mike McGlinchey
OL6 (utility): Daniel Brunskill
OL7: Colton McKivitz
OL8:Jaylon Moore
OL Justin Skule
OT Shon Coleman
OG Tom Compton
OL Corbin Kaufusi
OL Isaiah Williams
C Dakoda Shepley
OG Jake Brendel
C Weston Richburg (expected retirement)

Analysis:There’s plenty to unpack here, as the 49ers made aggressive moves to improve their offensive line — particularly in pass protection — through free agency and the draft. Mack is the fulcrum at center. The team recently committed big money to the tackle spots through Williams and McGlinchey, who saw the 49ers exercise his $10.88 million fifth-year option for the 2022 season.

The draft was about improving the interior offensive line, especially right guard. Banks allowed only two sacks throughout his college career at Notre Dame and has the size to stonewall the type of powerful defensive tackle that’s recently given the 49ers fits. Moore was a left tackle in college, but the 49ers envision that he’ll primarily serve as guard depth.

Given the shuffles, Brunskill should be able to move back to the utility role that he excelled at in 2019. He can also focus on learning from Mack to potentially become the 49ers’ center of the future. The team believes that McKivitz will make a big Year 2 jump (as a rookie in 2020, he didn’t have the benefit of an offseason program), but Skule might be on the outside looking in to the 53-man picture given the draft additions. Another player to monitor is swing tackle Shon Coleman, who hasn’t played since 2017.

Defense

Defensive line

DL1 (edge): Nick Bosa
DL2: Arik Armstead
DL3 (DT): Javon Kinlaw
DL4 (edge): Samson Ebukam
DL5 (NT): D.J. Jones
DL6 (NT): Zach Kerr
DL7 (DT): Kevin Givens
DL6 (DT): Maurice Hurst
DL9 (edge): Jordan Willis
DL 10 (edge): Arden Key
DE Dee Ford
DT Kentavius Street
DE Alex Barrett
NT Darrion Daniels
DE Daeshon Hall

Analysis:The 49ers stocked up on ex-Raiders defensive linemen right before the draft, signing Hurst and Key. That led to the first draft of the Shanahan/Lynch era that didn’t feature a pick on a defensive lineman. It’s a crowded room regardless, especially considering the fact that Ford — who’s rehabbing from a back injury that’s sidelined him since Week 1 of 2020 — is optimistic about a potential return.

Bosa is expected back Week 1. The 49ers might not be counting on Ford to be available by then, as they signed Key to a contract featuring $100,000 guaranteed and $200,000 in likely to be earned guarantees. For that reason, we project Key to grab the D-line’s final 53-man roster spot as we wait for further news on Ford.

The evolution of the entire line will be interesting to track, especially considering how aggressively the 49ers fortified the inside. They signed Jones, Kerr and Hurst there to complement Kinlaw.

Linebacker

LB1 (Mike): Fred Warner
LB2 (Will): Dre Greenlaw
LB 3 (Sam): Azeez Al-Shaair
LB4: Nate Gerry
Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles
Jonas Griffith
Justin Hilliard
Elijah Sullivan

Analysis:The top two names, Warner and Greenlaw, are set in stone. Gerry is a fleet-footed veteran linebacker whom the 49ers signed to compete with Al-Shaair and Flannigan-Fowles for that third spot. Gerry brings potential special teams value, so he can make the 53-man roster even if he doesn’t become a starter.

While the 49ers have typically carried five linebackers on the 53-man in the past, that might change this year thanks to evolving roster versatility. We already saw strong safety Marcell Harris drop down into a pseudo-linebacker role last season and more of that is certainly possible with rookie safety Talanoa Hufanga, whose film is reminiscent of Warner’s BYU tape.

Not surprisingly, two of the team’s undrafted free agent signings — Hilliard and Sullivan — came here, since overall depth at the position was relatively sparse.

Cornerback

CB1: Jason Verrett
CB2: Emmanuel Moseley
CB3 (nickel): K’Waun Williams
CB4: Ambry Thomas
CB5 (nickel): Deommodore Lenoir
CB6: Dontae Johnson
Tim Harris
Ken Webster
Mark Fields II
Briean Boddy-Calhoun
Adonis Alexander

Analysis:Richard Sherman, come on down? There might be a spot on the 49ers’ roster for the veteran corner, after all. Draftees Thomas and Lenoir slot in nicely behind Moseley and Williams, respectively. But given inexperience here, it seems prudent for the 49ers to carry an extra corner even if both rookies deliver solid offseasons. Johnson projects as that sixth body right now, but Sherman and his ability to mentor rookie defensive backs — and potentially beat out Moseley — may be a more efficient use of that slot.

This particular 53-man roster projection would leave the 49ers with about $13 million of salary-cap space on cutdown day, so the 49ers should have enough money to bring Sherman back. Neither side has ruled out a re-signing.

Safety

S1 (free): Jimmie Ward
S2 (strong):Jaquiski Tartt
S3: Tarvarius Moore
S4: Marcell Harris
S5: Talanoa Hufanga
Tavon Wilson
Jared Mayden
Kai Nacua
Chris Edwards

Analysis:The first four spots are virtually locked in. Ward and Tartt are the starters, while Moore and Harris are trusted depth. After being drafted, Hufanga said his goal is to become a Pro Bowler through special teams as a rookie. The 49ers view him as a box safety with potential adaptability to linebacker, so it might also be fair to list him in that position group.

It appears that Wilson, a 31-year-old veteran signed in March, will only crack the 53-man roster if there’s an injury in front of him. But there’s much that can still happen between now and the end of training camp, so nothing is set in stone.

Specialists

Kicker: Robbie Gould
Punter: Mitch Wishnowsky
Long snapper: Taybor Pepper

Analysis:There’s no mystery regarding the three spots above. The more pressing questions surround who’ll take on return duties in 2021. Thomas, the rookie cornerback, was a good kick returner in college at Michigan and has said that he would also be comfortable running back punts. The 49ers will let others audition for that role this offseason because Shanahan seems reluctant to use Aiyuk as a return man.

(Top photo of George Kittle and Mike McGlinchey: Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images)

David Lombardi is a staff writer for The Athletic covering the San Francisco 49ers. David joined The Athletic after three years with ESPN, where he primarily covered college football. Follow David on Twitter @LombardiHimself