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San Francisco 49ers: Full Depth Chart & Roster Predictions for 2016 Season

By Peter Panacy

Jan 3, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back DuJuan Harris (32) carries the ball against the St. Louis Rams in the second quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 3, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back DuJuan Harris (32) carries the ball against the St. Louis Rams in the second quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jun 8, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Blaine Gabbert (2) throws the ball with quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) during minicamp at the San Francisco 49ers Practice Facility. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 8, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Blaine Gabbert (2) throws the ball with quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) during minicamp at the San Francisco 49ers Practice Facility. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /

Quarterback

Blaine Gabbert, Colin Kaepernick

Players Cut: Jeff Driskel, Thad Lewis

OK, time for the slide most people want to read. And yes, Blaine Gabbert gets the start at quarterback in 2016.

Arguments can go either way about whether or not Kaepernick is the better option over Gabbert. Does he have a more eye-popping skill set? Sure. Did the prowess that made Kap such an effective force in 2012 and 2013 simply disappear? Not likely.

But Gabbert gets the edge here for a number of reasons.

Remember, he’s the incumbent starter carrying over from last season. And while the Niners’ quarterbacking play wasn’t overwhelmingly improved with Gabbert under center, Gabbert remained the better option given Kaepernick’s context.

That will go a long way in determining who starts. But Gabbert still has a leg up in the competition due to Kap’s recovery from offseason surgeries. Kaepernick wasn’t cleared to practice for OTAs and a sizable portion of minicamp. Gabbert was.

First in, first out on the field.

Of course, this doesn’t mean the starting job stays static during the season. A heated competition throughout all of 2016 may be the best thing for Kap.

But, for now, Gabbert has the edge.

Somewhat lost in the mix is rookie QB Jeff Driskel. In recent years, the 49ers haven’t kept more than two quarterbacks on their active roster. The Niners may have to figure a way to stash Driskel on their practice squad and, to do so, they’d want to talk him down so other teams aren’t interested in picking him up.

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So there you have it — predictions for the 49ers’ 53-man roster, starters and cut candidates.

A lot of the depth positions will hinge on whether or not players will be able to contribute on special teams. That will go a long way in determining whether or not late-round picks and undrafted free agents make the cut.

This is fluid, of course, and training camp will provide a lot of additional information to determine who is rising and falling.

But, for now, this is what we have. So let’s roll with it.

Next: Bubble-Watch Players on 49ers Roster

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