San Francisco 49ers: 10 Players Who May Be on the Roster Bubble After NFL Draft

Dec 20, 2014; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers strong safety Antoine Bethea (41) returns an interception for a touchdown against the San Diego Chargers during the second quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Stanton-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 20, 2014; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers strong safety Antoine Bethea (41) returns an interception for a touchdown against the San Diego Chargers during the second quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Stanton-USA TODAY Sports /
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Aug 7, 2014; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Tyrod Taylor (2) gets sacked by San Francisco 49ers defensive tackle Tank Carradine (95) in the first quarter at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 7, 2014; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Tyrod Taylor (2) gets sacked by San Francisco 49ers defensive tackle Tank Carradine (95) in the first quarter at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports /

Defensive End Tank Carradine

Just like linebacker Corey Lemonier, defensive end Tank Carradine has been another disappointment from the 49ers 2013 NFL Draft class.

Carradine, a second-round pick from that year, was a highly touted pass-rusher coming out of Florida State. Injured and redshirted his rookie season, Carradine struggled to get on the field under then-defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. It was pretty clear Carradine was having difficulty switching from a 4-3 defensive end to the same role in San Francisco’s 3-4 base defense.

While flashing some moments of his former self, the 49ers have moved on from trying Carradine out as a 3-4 DE. The selection of defensive ends Arik Armstead and DeForest Buckner in 2015 and 2016, respectively, suggest this.

Instead, the Niners have asked Carradine to drop some weight in order to be featured more as a specific edge-type player in a pass-rushing role.

This might be the final shot for Carradine to remain on the 49ers’ roster. If this experiment doesn’t work out, even if a team can never have too many pass-rushers, Carradine could find himself out of a job at some point this season.

If not earlier.

Next: WR Quinton Patton