Predicting 49ers 2016 53-Man Roster After OTAs

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Dec 20, 2015; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers punter Bradley Pinion (5) punts the ball against the Cincinnati Bengals during the third quarter at Levi’s Stadium. The Cincinnati Bengals defeated the San Francisco 49ers 24-14. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports /

Specialists

John Lunsford– Going out on a limb here and saying that the 49ers will keep Lunsford over Dawson. At 41 years old, Dawson is nearing the end of his career. The team likely won’t be competing in any high-stakes playoff contests in 2016. With that in mind, no need to commit to a seasoned-veteran. Give the young guy some reps and groom him for the future when it matters

Bradley Pinion– The 49ers drafted him last year. Was his relatively underwhelming rookie season a product of poor coverage units? He’ll have a chance to redeem himself in 2016.

Kyle Nelson– The only long-snapper on the team. He won’t be going anywhere. You don’t hear his name often. That’s a sign he is doing his job well.

Next: What to Expect From Tank in 2016

The 49ers 53-man roster breaks down like the following, with the starters italicized:

Quarterbacks- Colin Kaepernick, Blaine Gabbert, Jeff Driskel

Running Backs- Carlos Hyde, Kelvin Taylor, Shaun Draughn, DuJuan Harris

Wide Receivers- Torrey Smith, DeAndre Smelter, Eric Rogers, Bruce Ellington, Quinton Patton, Devon Cajuste

Tight Ends- Garrett Celek, Blake Bell, Rory Anderson, Bruce Miller

Offensive Linemen- Joe Staley, Joshua Garnett, Daniel Kilgore, Zane Beadles, Trent Brown, Marcus Martin, Erik Pears, John Theus, Andrew Tiller

Defensive Linemen- Arik Armstead, DeForest Buckner, Ian Williams, Quinton Dial, Ronald Blair, Mike Purcell, Tony Jerod-Eddie

Inside Linebackers- NaVorro Bowman, Gerald Hodges, Ray-Ray Armstrong

Outside Linebackers- Aaron Lynch, Eli Harold, Ahmad Brooks, Tank Carradine

Cornerbacks- Jimmie Ward, Dontae Johnson, Rashard Robinson, Kenneth Acker, Keith Reaser, Tramaine Brock

Safeties- Eric Reid, Antoine Bethea, Jaquiski Tartt, L.J. McCray

Specialists- John Lunsford, Bradley Pinion, Kyle Nelson

The San Francisco 49ers have a young and inexperienced roster but they likely aren’t competing for much in 2016. Just show improvements and prepare to build a core group of players for the franchise moving forward.

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All statistics, records and accolades courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com and Sports-Reference.com unless otherwise indicated