The 49ers wrapped the preseason with an 18-12 win over the Raiders, and now the real work begins. With cutdown day looming, Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch have to sort through injuries, roster math and the kind of late-week maneuvering that can reshape the entire 53.
Shanahan has already made clear this thing won’t be frozen once the initial roster is set. Even after Tuesday’s cuts, the 49ers are expected to keep looking at free agency, trades and waivers. So the 53-man projection here is part prediction, part what the roster would look like if the team had to make the call today.
At quarterback, the expectation is Brock Purdy, Mac Jones and Kurtis Rourke, who is on PUP. The thinking is simple: when Rourke is ready to come off PUP, San Francisco will have to clear a spot somewhere else, and the team can’t afford to expose him to waivers.
Running back looks crowded too. Christian McCaffrey, Kaelon Black, Jordan James, Sincere McCormick and Kyle Juszczyk are projected to make it, with McCormick seen as a likely cut candidate once players start coming off PUP.
Wide receiver is projected to include Mike Evans, De’Zhaun Stribling, Demarcus Robinson, Deebo Samuel and Jacob Cowing. Jordan Watkins is the odd man out in this view.
The case against him is blunt: he’s more athlete than receiver, he isn’t playing to his speed on the field, and his skill set isn’t unique. Cowing, though, is not exactly safe if the 49ers can find a returner.
Tight end gets a familiar top end with George Kittle, Jake Tonges and Luke Farrell. The projection also leaves room for a fourth tight end to be added through cutdown waivers.
Up front, the nine projected offensive linemen are Trent Williams, Carver Willis, Jake Brendel, Dominick Puni, Colton McKivitz, Connor Colby, Brett Toth, Vederian Lowe and Enrique Cruz Jr. Robert Jones is the cut in this scenario, with the expectation that he clears waivers.
The defensive tackle group is where things get especially difficult. Osa Odighizuwa, Gracen Halton, James Thompson Jr., Bryson Eason and Sebastian Valdez are in, while Alfred Collins is stashed on IR until he’s healthy and loses a ton of weight.
That leaves C.J. West as the cut.
It’s described as the right move, even if it’s a tough one for a fourth-round pick in year two. Most projections, meanwhile, have the Niners exposing Eason to waivers.
Fans may want a trade involving Collins or West, but with how they’re playing currently as roller skating extras in Xanadu, there is no realistic trade market for them.
On the edge, the projection keeps Nick Bosa, Romello Height, Sam Okuayinonu, Keion White and Ogbo Okoronkwo. Mykel Williams remains on PUP, which means another roster move would be needed later.
At linebacker, Fred Warner, Dre Greenlaw, Jaden Dugger, Deion Jones, Tatum Bethune and Garrett Wallow are projected to make it. Jones gets the nod because of his history with Morris, his best game last year against Atlanta, his pass-rush skill, his hands for takeaways and the more than 270 special teams snaps he played last season.
The position could still see movement, though. The Niners may try to trade a linebacker, and cuts or trades could include Nick Martin, Luke Gifford, Jalen Graham and Larry Worth III.
The hope is that some of them clear waivers and land on the practice squad.
In the secondary, Deommodore Lenoir, Renardo Green, Upton Stout, Jack Jones and Darrell Luter Jr. are projected at corner, with a possible cutdown addition coming through waivers. Ephesians Prysock is on PUP, and Luter could be cut once Prysock returns. Nate Hobbs is still in the mix, but he has been relatively quiet.
At safety, the projected four are Malik Mustapha, Ji’Ayir Brown, Marques Sigle and Siran Neal. Neal gets the edge over Ashtyn Davis after outplaying him in the Raider game and bringing extra value on special teams, plus DB/S versatility. The team is expected to keep shopping the cutdown list for help.
Special teams should include PK Eddy Pineiro, P Corliss Waitman and LS Jon Weeks.
The cutdown radar also includes a few names from around the league. Denver tight end Dallen Bentley, a 6-4, 253-pound two-way player from Utah, has been on the Niners’ radar before.
If the Broncos keep Bentley, Justin Joly is another cutdown option for Denver. Miami safety Louis Moore, listed at 5-11 and 190, had six picks at Indiana last year with 88 tackles and a QB rating when targeted of 45.
Seattle receiver and returner Emmanuel Henderson, a 6-1, 185-pound sixth-round pick, has 4.4 speed, a 94-yard kick return touchdown at Kansas last year, averaged more than 25 yards per return and caught 45 passes for 766 yards and five touchdowns. The Chargers’ Alex Harkey, a 6-6, 327-pound guard/tackle, also comes up as a player the front office knows well.
There’s also the long-shot wish list. Fans keep hoping for Giants edge Kayvon Thibodeaux, but New York keeps saying he’s not for sale.
Only three edge rushers are projected to go in the first round next year, and all are expected to be off the board before the 49ers pick. A 2027 second-rounder and “who else do you want?”
could be floated, even if it probably doesn’t get a deal done. Jacksonville safety Antonio Johnson would also be a target if he became available, though he is not expected to hit the trade market yet.
The NFL roster cutdown deadline is Sunday at 3 p.m. Pacific.
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