With the final preseason game ending Saturday evening, the staff is working diligently to decide who makes this team, and who is released. Overall, it’s a very talented roster at some key positional groups, with offensive line, tight end and linebacker being the three big question marks. I imagine that even after roster cuts on Tuesday, this roster will still not be complete as the staff may be scouring the waiver wire to see what players other teams have released.
Below is my 53-man roster prediction. I have 26 being kept on offense and 24 on the defensive side of the football.
Offense (26)
QB (3):
Sam Howell
Jacoby Brissett
Jake Fromm
– The new gameday active rule and what happened to the 49ers last season, coupled with the fact that he just played well, make the decision to keep Fromm on the roster a wise one.
RB (3):
Brian Robinson
Antonio Gibson
Chris Rodriguez
– Keeping four running backs is a possibility, but I think we can Patterson or Gore on the practice squad.
WR (6):
Terry Mclaurin
Jahan Dotson
Curtis Samuel
Dyami Brown
Byron Pringle
Dax Milne
– I feel Rivera and company like Milne a LOT more than the fanbase does. Kaz Allen shooting himself in the foot Saturday night makes this decision easier. The tougher decision is seeing if they can get Mitchell Tinsley on the practice squad (which may be hard to do).
TE (4):
Logan Thomas
Cole Turner
John Bates
Alex Armah
– I have zero faith in Logan Thomas, so that’s part of the reason I have us keeping Armah as the fourth TE (or fourth RB – however you want to call it). Alex is versatile and smart, and this staff really likes him. He’s also an excellent special teams guy.
OL (10):
Charles Leno
Andrew Wylie
Cornelius Lucas
Braeden Daniels
Saahdiq Charles
Sam Cosmi
Chris Paul
Nick Gates
Tyler Larsen
Ricky Stromberg
– I am VERY hesitant to put Braeden Daniels on this roster, as he’s just not earned it. However, there is no chance that Rivera and company give up on a fourth round pick this early. I’d rather see Mason Brooks here, but Daniels will be the pick.
Defense (24)
DL (10):
Jonathan Allen
Daron Payne
Phidarian Mathis
John Ridgeway
Montez Sweat
Chase Young
Efe Obada
Casey Toohill
James Smith-Williams
Andre Jones
– The tough decision here is Jones vs. Henry. By all accounts, Jones has outplayed his rookie counterpart and, in this projection, he’s rewarded with a roster spot.
LB (4):
Jamin Davis
Cody Barton
Khaleke Hudson
David Mayo
– This one seems pretty easy. Four seems to be the number here and these are the top guys on the roster.
DB (6):
Kendall Fuller
Emmanuel Forbes
Benjamin St-Juste
Quan Martin
Danny Johnson
Christian Holmes
– Martin could be listed at either slot corner or safety and it’s just semantics as to how you want to call it. Regardless, the rookie makes the team and will likely have some packages where we see him contributing.
S (4):
Kam Curl
Darrick Forrest
Percy Butler
Jeremy Reaves
– These four seem pretty set in stone, with the wild-card being where/how Del Rio will deploy Martin.
Special Teams (3):
Joey Slye
Tress Way
Camaron Cheeseman