San Francisco 49ers: Undrafted free agents with best chance to make 2019 roster

By Peter Panacy | May 3, 2019

SANTA CLARA, CA - NOVEMBER 29: A view of San Francisco 49ers helmets on the bench during their NFL game against the Arizona Cardinals at Levi's Stadium on November 29, 2015 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

5 of 5

IOWA CITY, IOWA- NOVEMBER 23: Offensive linemen Keegan Render #69 and Ross Reynolds #59 of the Iowa Hawkeyes carry the Heroes Trophy off the field after their match-up against the Nebraska Cornhuskers on November 23, 2018 at Kinnick Stadium, in Iowa City, Iowa. (Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images)

IOWA CITY, IOWA- NOVEMBER 23: Offensive linemen Keegan Render #69 and Ross Reynolds #59 of the Iowa Hawkeyes carry the Heroes Trophy off the field after their match-up against the Nebraska Cornhuskers on November 23, 2018 at Kinnick Stadium, in Iowa City, Iowa. (Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images) /

Ah, yes. Tight end George Kittle and quarterback C.J. Beathard‘s former teammate at Iowa: offensive guard Ross Reynolds.

The 49ers have been liking Iowa players the past few seasons, and it looks as if Reynolds could be the next in line to secure a roster spot.

More from SF 49ers News

And it isn’t as if the Niners boast depth along the interior of their offensive line.

Left guard Laken Tomlinson and center Weston Richburg are both coming off 2018 knee injuries. Right guard Mike Person can back these two positions up, as well as tackle. But he’s all but secured the starting job heading into 2019. With former first-round NFL Draft pick Joshua Garnett already on the bubble, and depth lineman Erik Magnuson losing favor during the second half of last season, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Niners strongly pushing Reynolds to make the cut.

Niner Noise already broke down what kind of player Reynolds is, and there’s a lot to like for a UDFA.

Reynolds was a run-blocking zone specialist in college, which is what head coach Kyle Shanahan’s theme for offensive lineman has been, recently. While Reynolds has some liabilities in pass protection, the likelihood of San Francisco being a run-first offense is pretty strong in 2019.

Next. NFL power rankings: Post-2019 NFL Draft breakdown for all 32 teams. dark

If Reynolds can beat out a player like Magnuson or Garnett, there’s an excellent chance he winds up being one of the key backups for the Niners’ interior starters this season.