As the San Francisco 49ers gear up for their final two games of the 2018 preseason, Niner Noise predicts how the starting lineup looks in Week 1 of the regular season.
Two weeks into the San Francisco 49ers‘ 2018 preseason campaign, we have a pretty good idea how the Niners’ 53-man roster could look once Week 1 opens up.
Well, for the most part.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan’s squad still has two more exhibition bouts to play before he makes the ultimate tough choices — determining which 53 to keep out of his 90-man preseason roster.
Many are easy choices, often the camp bodies Shanahan and Co. use for mere fillers, tryouts and, at best, additions to the team’s practice squad. Others are bona fide roster additions without any clear worry whether or not they can make the team.
Out of that latter group, things get a bit trickier. While each player on a 53-man roster holds a specific role, determining a starting lineup tends to get a bit more difficult. After all, you want your best players on the field as much as possible.
Some starting jobs are all but guaranteed. In others, we have a pretty good idea who winds up starting.
And, of course, injuries can play a big role in determining starters and depth charts. The Niners aren’t immune to this either, especially after suffering a slew of injury setbacks during their exhibition opener against the Dallas Cowboys.
Still, let’s make some predictions, shall we? Here’s your breakdown on what the Niners’ 2018 Week 1 starting lineup will look like.