The 49ers are lining up four additions for their practice squad ahead of the Week 1 opener against the Rams.
According to Matt Barrows of The Athletic, defensive end Ogbo Okoronkwo, tight end Khalil Dinkins and wide receivers KhaDarel Hodge and Wesley Grimes are all expected to join San Francisco’s practice squad. Each one will be trying to force his way onto the active roster before long.
That kind of move always comes with a little uncertainty. Other teams can still try to swipe players from practice squads, so none of these spots is completely safe. But the 49ers bringing these four in says plenty about how the organization views them - and it gives each player a path to crack the lineup if things break right.
Hodge spent the 2025 season with the Atlanta Falcons, where he caught three passes for 31 scoreless yards in 12 games. His bigger value came on special teams, where he was a Pro Bowler in 2024.
Grimes entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2026, and San Francisco is expected to keep developing him. Dinkins is in the same boat as a 2026 UDFA, with the 49ers giving him a place to continue his growth.
Okoronkwo is the most proven name in the group. He has played in 81 games over seven seasons, won a Super Bowl with the Los Angeles Rams and has piled up 132 tackles, 38 quarterback hits and 17 sacks. If injuries hit the 49ers’ defense, it would not be a surprise to see him back on the active roster.
The initial 53-man roster always gets the attention, but the season has a way of reshuffling things quickly. With that in mind, any of these four could end up dressing on game day before long.
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