The first preseason game gave the San Francisco 49ers a clearer look at a few roster battles, and a messier picture in a few others. Some jobs are starting to settle. Others are being shaped just as much by injuries as by performance.
At quarterback, Kurtis Rourke made a strong enough impression in his preseason debut to keep the 49ers happy, but he also got hurt. That combination points toward him landing on the practice squad in this projection.
The backfield behind the top options didn’t produce much help in the opener. None of the depth running backs seized the moment when their number was called.
Return work may already be tilting the picture at receiver. Watkins appears to be taking the punt return job, while Deebo Samuel is winning the kick return role. With those roles sorting themselves out and more injuries piling up, it is getting harder to see Jacob Cowing making the team.
At tight end, Brayden Willis is still sitting ahead of Josiah Deguara for the fourth spot, though even that may not be enough to earn him a roster place.
The interior line picture is also unsettled. Drake Nugent has been ahead of Brett Toth, although Toth’s injury could be part of that gap.
The preseason, meanwhile, suggested the 49ers should carry a fifth interior lineman. That decision appears to come down to rookie UDFA Thompson or second-year player Sebastian Valdez.
On the edge, three of the top four are banged up, and that helps explain why Okoronkwo is making the team in this projection. He fits with Raheem Morris better than Sam Okuayinonnu, who is projected to be cut.
The linebacker group has its own squeeze. Wallow gets the nod over Luke Gifford, though Gifford could still be pushing Nick Martin.
There is also a question in the secondary with Nate Hobbs. He is injured and has hardly practiced, which could lead to an IR move or some other roster maneuver that keeps him out at the start of the year.
And at special teams, the punter job looks decided. Waitman appears to have won it, especially after the team cut Jack Bouwmeester.
In Other News...
49ers Fans Should Watch This Pass Rusher Closely
South Carolina edge rusher Dylan Stewart is the kind of draft prospect 49ers fans should keep on the radar, especially if they are already thinking about the next wave of help for the defensive line. The scouting report points to the athleticism and pass-rush ability that have made him stand out, along with the kind of upside that can put a player in first-round conversations before he ever reaches the league.
The bigger question now is health, after Stewart dealt with a back injury in 2025 that could shape how teams view him moving forward. If he stays on track, his ceiling makes him an intriguing long-term option for San Francisco, a team that could always use more young edge talent in the pipeline. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Depth Battles Already Look A Lot More Concerning
The 49ers used their preseason opener in Tennessee exactly the way a team in August is supposed to, keeping most of the starters on the sideline and giving rookies and backups a long look in live action. The result was a 19-13 loss, but the more important part for San Francisco was how the roster depth held up when the games started to count for evaluation.
A handful of players did not help their cases much. Robert Jones, Connor Colby, Patrick Taylor Jr., Romello Height, Drake Nugent and Doug Kramer Jr. all drew attention for uneven showings, which is not the kind of first impression a team wants when jobs are being sorted out. For a roster with expectations as high as San Franciscos, these early depth battles were already going to matter, and now they look a little more unsettled than the 49ers probably hoped. [Read more 🡒]