SF 49ers final 53-man roster projection ahead of Week 1

With Saturday’s cut deadline looming, let’s take one final guess at the SF 49ers’ final 53 man roster.

As the most bizarre offseason on record comes to a close, SF 49ers general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan will be tasked with selecting their final 53-man roster by 4 p.m. ET on Saturday, Sept. 5.

Without preseason games, those decisions will be based solely on what players have shown during training camp, which may signal that the team will err on the side of caution, choosing to go with players who have either longevity in Shanahan or defensive coordinator Robert Saleh’s systems or NFL experience, preferably both.

This may make it difficult, though not impossible, for undrafted or late-round rookies to crack the roster, while simultaneously making it easier for the 49ers and other teams around the league to stash players on the expanded, 16-man practice squads.

And with the training camp periods ending on Sunday, the offseason will merge right into game-planning for the season opener, a home clash with the Arizona Cardinals on Sept. 13.

That, along with the ever-present COVID-19 crisis, means there might not be as much shuffling once the roster is set on Saturday.

But before Lynch and Shanahan get their say, let’s take one more stab at predicting who will make the SF 49ers’ final 53-man roster, along with a few hints at who they could try to slip onto the practice squad for this most unusual NFL season.