49ers mid-preseason 53-man roster projection for 2019

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SANTA CLARA, CA – DECEMBER 23: Dante Pettis #18 of the San Francisco 49ers runs after a catch against the Chicago Bears during their NFL game at Levi’s Stadium on December 23, 2018 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /

Wide Receivers

April (6): Dante Pettis, Marquise Goodwin, Trent Taylor, Richie James Jr., Deebo Samuel, Jalen Hurd

Mid-preseason (6): Dante Pettis, Marquise Goodwin, Deebo Samuel, Jalen Hurd, Richie James, Kendrick Bourne (IR: Trent Taylor)

It’s wide receiver that takes the first slight turn away from the April projection, although only just so. Once again, an unknown injury situation comes into play in terms of changing things up here.

Third-year slot receiver Trent Taylor was reportedly having an excellent camp, but during the broadcast for the preseason Week 1 game against the Cowboys, it was reported that he had surgery on his foot. The injury is commonly known as a Jones fracture, and the timetable for recovery is four to six weeks, which almost certainly means Taylor won’t be back for the season opener.

Once again the NFL’s IR rules complicate this matter. Do the 49ers still name Taylor to the roster, keeping him inactive on game days until he’s fully healthy? Or do they choose instead to place him on IR with a designation to return, giving his slot to someone else?

For the purposes of this exercise, let’s assume the 49ers choose the safer route and give Taylor all the time he needs to recover, making way for Kendrick Bourne to make the 53-man roster.

It’s Bourne here because the rest of the current group — the likes of Jordan Matthews, Malik Henry and the recently injured Shawn Poindexter — has done practically nothing in the preseason.

If there’s an extra opening at this position, it’s Bourne’s to lose at this point.

The rest of this group carries over from the earlier prediction, although it’s much safer to say rookies Deebo Samuel and Jalen Hurd have already begun to carve our roles for themselves during the first two preseason games. Particularly Samuel, who has looked dangerous with the ball in his hands in open field.

Sure, this solution will create a problem once Taylor returns from the IR in the middle of the season, but that’s a bridge to cross later.