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San Francisco 49ers: Full Prediction of 53-Man Roster in 2016

By Bryan Knowles

January 20, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Chip Kelly addresses the media in a press conference after being introduced as the new head coach for the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium Auditorium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
January 20, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Chip Kelly addresses the media in a press conference after being introduced as the new head coach for the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium Auditorium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 6, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Torrey Smith (82) carries the ball for the game winning 71 yard touchdown in front of Chicago Bears defensive back Chris Prosinski (31) during the overtime period at Soldier Field. The 49ers won 26-20 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 6, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Torrey Smith (82) carries the ball for the game winning 71 yard touchdown in front of Chicago Bears defensive back Chris Prosinski (31) during the overtime period at Soldier Field. The 49ers won 26-20 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports /

Wide Receivers

Starters: Torrey Smith, Quinton Patton, Bruce Ellington
Reserves: Eric Rogers, DeAndre Smelter, Jerome Simpson
On the Bubble: Dres Anderson, DeAndrew White, DiAndre Campbell, Aaron Burbridge, Bryce Treggs

Torrey Smith had his worst season in the NFL last year, but I’m willing to give him a mulligan considering the poor offensive system the 49ers had under Geep Chryst.  It will be interesting to see how he performs under Kelly this year.

He’s the only lock on the roster, with everyone else fighting for a good five roster slots in a mad scramble.  No one has a firm claim on any of those spots.

I’m sticking with the 49ers of the past few years and giving Quinton Patton and Bruce Ellington starting spots, but that’s more inertia than anything else.  Patton is one of the more experienced receivers on the roster, but last year’s 394 receiving yards represents his career high.  He’s far from a lock.  Ellington might be safer in the role of primary slot receiver; he doesn’t fit Kelly’s normal big-bodied type at the position, but Kelly’s said that Ellington is “intriguing”.  Kelly used three-receiver formations 69.3 percent of the time in 2015, making this a starting position.  That’s a big difference than the 41 percent of the time the 49ers used three receivers—Kelly will bring the 49ers’ offense into the 21st century.

The backup slot role will likely be a competition between Eric Rogers and rookie Aaron Burbridge.  I’m siding with Rogers at the moment; Kelly worked him out when he was still the coach of the Eagles, and he was the first player signed after Kelly took the head coaching spot.  Burbridge gets a year of seasoning on the practice squad.

As for the other two receivers on the roster, I literally just picked the two largest receivers left, because Kelly loves big-bodied targets.  DeAndre Smelter makes it after missing all of last year recovering from a knee injury in college; the 49ers are excited to see what he can bring to the table.  Jerome Simpson is the second-most experienced receiver on the roster, but his spot is a lot more tenuous than Smelter’s.  I went with him just so the 49ers had another experienced player somewhere in the lineup, though a developmental player would make an equal amount of sense.

All five of the receivers listed as “on the bubble” are eligible for the practice squad, as is UDFA Devon Cajuste (listed as a receiver, but I have him battling with the tight ends), Eric Rogers and DeAndre Smelter.  We’ll likely see a number of them with the team, even if it isn’t immediately on the 53-man roster.

Next: Tight Ends