{"id":300328,"date":"2026-05-05T05:00:23","date_gmt":"2026-05-05T05:00:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/300328\/"},"modified":"2026-05-05T05:00:23","modified_gmt":"2026-05-05T05:00:23","slug":"49ers-53-man-roster-projection-after-2026-nfl-draft-selections-nbc-sports-bay-area-california","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/300328\/","title":{"rendered":"49ers 53-man roster projection after 2026 NFL Draft selections \u2013 NBC Sports Bay Area & California"},"content":{"rendered":"

What to KnowThe 49ers exited the 2026 NFL Draft feeling good about how the new players could immediately fit into the picture. The team\u2019s rookie minicamp is scheduled for Friday and Saturday in Santa Clara.Here is an early projection of the 53-man roster heading into their Week 1 game against the Los Angeles Rams<\/a> in Melbourne, Australia<\/p>\n

What you see is what you get.<\/p>\n

The 49ers appear set after the team selected eight players<\/a> in the 2026 NFL Draft and signed another eight undrafted rookies.<\/p>\n

San Francisco exited the draft feeling good about how the new players could immediately fit into the picture. The team selected a lot of experienced, mature players. Their top three selections were wide receiver De\u2019Zhaun Stribling<\/a> (23 years old), edge Romello Height<\/a> (25) and running back Kaelon Black<\/a> (24).<\/p>\n

\u201cI think we have a chance for a couple guys possibly to start or have a chance to start,\u201d coach Kyle Shanahan said.<\/p>\n

\u201cA number of these guys can be a big part or have a chance to start two years from now when you have some unrestricted free agents that we lose. So, overall, I hope all eight guys just contribute.\u201d<\/p>\n

The 49ers will get their first look at their rookies on the practice field later this week. The team\u2019s rookie minicamp is scheduled for Friday and Saturday in Santa Clara.<\/p>\n

Here is an early projection of the 49ers\u2019 53-man roster heading into their Week 1 game against the Los Angeles Rams<\/a> in Melbourne, Australia:<\/p>\n

Quarterback (2)<\/p>\n

Starter: Brock Purdy<\/p>\n

Backup: Mac Jones<\/p>\n

Competing: Kurtis Rourke, Adrian Martinez<\/p>\n

This is a good year for the 49ers to keep just two quarterbacks on the 53-man roster. There will be a competition between Rourke, a seventh-round pick in 2025, and Martinez. The winner of that competition would have a spot on the practice squad behind Purdy and Jones.<\/p>\n

Running back (5)<\/p>\n

Starters: Christian McCaffrey, Kyle Juszczyk<\/p>\n

Backups: Kaelon Black, Jordan James, Isaac Guerendo<\/p>\n

Competing: Patrick Taylor, Sincere McCormick<\/p>\n

The final spot might come down to special teams. Guerendo will be in a battle to hold onto that position after losing his place on the depth chart to James last season. The 49ers really like Black, a third-round pick, which suggests he has a strong chance to emerge as McCaffrey\u2019s primary backup.<\/p>\n

Wide receiver (6)<\/p>\n

Starters: Mike Evans, Ricky Pearsall<\/p>\n

Backups: De\u2019Zhaun Stribling, Christian Kirk, Jordan Watkins, Jacob Cowing<\/p>\n

Competing: Demarcus Robinson, Junior Bergen, Malik Turner, Wesley Grimes, Will Pauling, Colton Dowell<\/p>\n

If Pearsall provides an opening for Stribling, that might be all the rookie needs to take over a significant role in the 49ers\u2019 offense. As it currently stands, there could be strong competition between Stribling and Kirk to be the team\u2019s No. 3 receiver.<\/p>\n

Cowing is the front-runner to return to his 2024 role as the 49ers\u2019 punt returner. Kirk and Bergen are also options. Robinson, a 10-year veteran, will be battling the young guys, including Watkins, for a spot on the team.<\/p>\n

Tight end (2)<\/p>\n

Starter: Jake Tonges<\/p>\n

Backups: Luke Farrell<\/p>\n

Possible PUP:\u00a0George Kittle<\/p>\n

Competing: Brayden Willis, Khalil Dinkins, Hayden Rucci<\/p>\n

Shanahan and general manager John Lynch are not ruling out the possibility of Kittle being on the field for the season opener. It seems a little aggressive of a timeline for him to return from a torn Achilles<\/a>. So it would seem the 49ers would be cautious with Kittle, as he enters his 10th NFL season.<\/p>\n

If Kittle begins the season on the physically unable to perform list, the 49ers can always bump up a tight end from the practice squad for the first four games of the season until he returns.<\/p>\n

Offensive line (10)<\/p>\n

Starters: LT Trent Williams, RT Colton McKivitz, RG Dominick Puni, C Jake Brendel, LG Carver Willis<\/p>\n

Backups: Brett Toth, Vederian Lowe, Robert Jones, Connor Colby, Enrique Cruz<\/p>\n

Competing: Austen Pleasants, Nick Zakelj, Brandon Parker, Zachary Thomas, Drake Nugent, Isaac Alarcon<\/p>\n

The fact that the 49ers did not take an offensive lineman until the fourth round suggests they have high hopes for the player they ended up selecting. That\u2019s why Willis is projected as the starter at left guard. But if Willis is not ready for that role, the 49ers\u2019 options are Jones, Toth and Colby.<\/p>\n

The 49ers appear set for the next two seasons at left tackle, as Williams and Lowe, the top backup, are under contract through 2027. Cruz has all the tools needed for a chance to develop into a starter a couple years down the road.<\/p>\n

Defensive line (9)<\/p>\n

Starters: Nick Bosa, Osa Odighizuwa, Alfred Collins, Sam Okuayinonu<\/p>\n

Backups: Romello Height, CJ West, Gracen Halton, Keion White, Cameron Sample<\/p>\n

Possible PUP: Mykel Williams<\/p>\n

Competing: Evan Anderson, Sebastian Valdez, Bryson Eason, Mikail Kamara, James Thompson, William Bradley-King, Andrew Farmer<\/p>\n

Bosa appears to be on pace for a Week 1 return. Williams sustained his ACL tear in Week 9, so he is further behind in his physical therapy. Williams appears to be a strong candidate to open the season on the PUP list.<\/p>\n

Height, a third-round draft pick, will not be a starter as a rookie, but he is being counted upon more than anyone else in this rookie class. Height is a designated pass-rusher, so his job will consist entirely of getting after the quarterback in passing situations.<\/p>\n

The door is open for the three undrafted rookies (Eason, Kamara and Thompson) to earn their way onto the 53-man roster.<\/p>\n

Linebacker (6)<\/p>\n

Starters: Fred Warner, Dre Greenlaw, Luke Gifford<\/p>\n

Backups: Tatum Bethune, Nick Martin, Jaden Dugger<\/p>\n

Competing: Garret Wallow, Jalen Graham, Milo Eifler<\/p>\n

Gifford was the NFC Pro Bowl selection as a special-teams performer. He also started nine games as the team\u2019s strong-side linebacker \u2014 a position that plays approximately one-third of the snaps.<\/p>\n

Bethune started at middle linebacker last season after Warner\u2019s injury. Martin is expected to develop into Greenlaw\u2019s backup. Dugger is likely to stick around with a chance to be a future starter.<\/p>\n

Cornerback (6)<\/p>\n

Starters: Deommodore Lenoir, Renardo Green, Upton Stout<\/p>\n

Backups: Darrell Luter, Ephesians Prysock, Nate Hobbs<\/p>\n

Competing: Jack Jones, Eli Apple, Jakob Robinson, Derrick Canteen<\/p>\n

The 49ers\u2019 starters are set, but the backup positions are up for grabs. Luter is the front-runner to return as the team\u2019s top backup behind Green and Lenoir. Hobbs and Jones have been starters, and they will be competing for spots. Prysock has all the traits and is someone who might have too much upside for San Francisco to sneak through to the practice squad.<\/p>\n

Safety (4)<\/p>\n

Starters: Malik Mustapha, Ji\u2019Ayir Brown<\/p>\n

Backups: Marques Sigle, Siran Neal<\/p>\n

Competing: Patrick McMorris, Jalen Stroman, Darrick Forrest<\/p>\n

The big competition will take place between Brown and Sigle to start alongside Mustapha. Brown, who enters the final year of his contract, started 13 games last season. Sigle was a Week 1 starter as a rookie and started seven games.<\/p>\n

Specialists (3)<\/p>\n

Starters: K Eddy Pi\u00f1eiro, P Corliss Waitman, LS Jon Weeks<\/p>\n

Competing: P Jack Bouwmeester<\/p>\n

The 49ers opted to move on from veteran punter Thomas Morstead after one season. They signed Waitman as a free agent and added Bouwmeester to the roster as an undrafted rookie. Bouwmeester, a native of Australia, has a legitimate chance to push Waitman, who handled the punting chores for the Pittsburgh Steelers the past two seasons.<\/p>\n

Download and follow the 49ers Talk Podcast<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"What to KnowThe 49ers exited the 2026 NFL Draft feeling good about how the new players could immediately…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":300329,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[127072,33671,101,103,102,104,106,105],"class_list":["post-300328","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-san-francisco","tag-49ers-roster","tag-matt-maiocco","tag-san-francisco","tag-san-francisco-headlines","tag-san-francisco-news","tag-sf","tag-sf-headlines","tag-sf-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/300328","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=300328"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/300328\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/300329"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=300328"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=300328"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=300328"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}