49ers depth chart: Predicting 5 surprise adds to 53-man roster in 2020

The 49ers don’t have too many holes on their 53-man roster entering 2020, yet these five players would create some stir if they make the cut.

One of the benefits of the San Francisco 49ers boasting a Super Bowl-caliber roster is that it’s not too difficult to figure out the vast majority of starters and immediate reserves. For the 53-man cut expected to start in Week 1, there are probably no more than 10 to 15 spots truly up for grabs.

Barring injuries in training camp, of course.

There are some caveats this season, though. Practice squads are being increased from 12 players to 16, and four of those players placed here don’t have to follow the previous eligibility requirements. There are also devices in place to prevent other teams from signing practice squad players onto their own rosters, which essentially creates a 57-player roster.

Aside from the contract language, money, etc.

All that said, though, there are almost always surprises here and there when the 53-man roster is officially announced in advance of Week 1. In what’s been a weird offseason, along with there being no preseason games this year, it’s a bit tougher to gauge who winds up being one of those surprise adds. Yet there are certainly some possible names to keep an eye on during training camp; the proverbial dark-horse addition who seemingly came out of nowhere to make the cut.

Last year, running back Jeff Wilson Jr. and linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair were two such players who surprised in this way after not initially being expected to make the cut when camp kicked off.

Here are five other players who could easily be surprise adds to San Francisco’s 53-man roster early this upcoming season.