San Francisco 49ers: 10 Pros Who Could Lose Jobs to 2016 NFL Draft Prospects

The San Francisco 49ers will be looking to make some dramatic improvements to their roster via the 2016 NFL Draft. And yet this likely pushes a number of players off starting jobs or out the door altogether. Niner Noise looks at 10 pros who may see their tenure in Santa Clara endangered by the draft.

The 2016 NFL Draft is fast approaching, and the San Francisco 49ers will be looking to make some vast improvements to a roster, which is coming off a 5-11 finish a year ago and is in need of some substantial talent on both sides of the ball.

Plenty of questions abound when evaluating the Niners draft needs. Will the team shore up the offensive line? How will the quarterback situation pan out? Can the 49ers revive an inept pass rush? What will depth within the secondary and along the defensive line look like?

These questions, and more, will largely determine general manager Trent Baalke’s actions during the draft. And those actions will have serious consequences upon a large number of current players on the 49ers roster.

NFL teams can keep a total of 90 players on their roster following the draft itself and into the preseason. The roster then has to be cut down to 75, and final cuts will reveal the 53-man roster seen when the regular-season starts in Week 1.

Some established veterans have little to worry about. Perennial All-Pro linebacker NaVorro Bowman isn’t going to be surpassed by a rookie anytime soon. Neither is left tackle Joe Staley.

Yet a good number of other players could see their respective roles endangered by this influx of new players.

Remember, the 49ers have a total of 12 picks in this year’s draft. And they own the No. 7 overall selection as well.

So which incumbents might see a reduced role or, possibly, wind up being released altogether when those critical cuts are made as the preseason draws to a close?

Let’s take a look at 10 of them.

Next: Corey Lemonier