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San Francisco 49ers: 10 Dark-Horse Candidates to Make the 53-Man Roster in 2016

By Peter Panacy

November 14, 2015; Stanford, CA, USA; Oregon Ducks cornerback Ugo Amadi (14, left) is called for defensive pass interference against Stanford Cardinal wide receiver Devon Cajuste (89, right) during the fourth quarter at Stanford Stadium. The Ducks defeated the Cardinal 38-36. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
November 14, 2015; Stanford, CA, USA; Oregon Ducks cornerback Ugo Amadi (14, left) is called for defensive pass interference against Stanford Cardinal wide receiver Devon Cajuste (89, right) during the fourth quarter at Stanford Stadium. The Ducks defeated the Cardinal 38-36. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /
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Feb 25, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Stanford wide receiver Devon Cajuste speaks to the media during the 2016 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 25, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Stanford wide receiver Devon Cajuste speaks to the media during the 2016 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports /

No. 1: Wide Receiver/Tight End Devon Cajuste

Unlike nearly every player on this list, the one thing separating former Stanford wide receiver Devon Cajuste is that he should be a definite lock to make the 53-man roster.

OK, so nothing is guaranteed at the NFL level. But Cajuste’s intangibles are aspects the playmaking-strapped 49ers can’t afford to pass up.

For starters, Cajuste is 6-foot-4 and 227 pounds, which makes him an excellent candidate to convert over to tight end if necessary. And that stature also makes Cajuste a promising red-zone target for a Niners team that ranked 31st in the league last year (43.59 percent), per TeamRankings.com.

Cajuste’s hands are also phenomenal. There are more than enough film clips to demonstrate this, but this particular one from Niners Nation’s Jennifer Chan should do the trick. You’ll know when Cajuste’s name is called:

Undrafted free agents rarely make NFL rosters and, in many cases, they’re even rarities to make practice squads (although there are more than a few exceptions).

But Cajuste, arguably the best UDFA signing the 49ers had in 2016, has a strong case to make the roster.

Given all the uncertainty San Francisco has at wide receiver, and tight end for that matter, Cajuste simply needs to continue showcasing the skill set and potential demonstrated at the collegiate level and, so far, during the 49ers offseason activities.

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For Cajuste, and every other bubble-watch player, a number of things need to take place in order for each guy to make the 53-man roster. Depth-chart attrition is a factor. And more-established players often need to regress or fail to perform adequately.

And these dark-horse candidates need to do more than just occupy a camp spot. Much, much more.

Putting it simply, each under-the-radar player needs to prove, without a doubt, he belongs on the roster.

It’s a tall order. But some of the aforementioned guys are in a great position to make it happen.

Next: 10 49ers Veterans Who May Not Make 53-Man Roster in 2016

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