Rethinking 49ers 53-man roster after first wave of 2021 cuts

49ers Wide Receivers (6)

WR Deebo Samuel

WR Brandon Aiyuk

WR Mohamed Sanu

WR Trent Sherfield

WR Jauan Jennings

WR Nsimba Webster

PS: WR River Cracraft, WR Jalen Hurd

When we first looked at the potential players who could make the 53-man roster at wide receiver, the top two were set with a bunch of question marks after that.

Training camp and the first preseason game have solidified some of those lingering unknowns, with veterans Mohamed Sanu and Trent Sherfield joining Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk as virtual locks to make the team.

Beyond that, some uncertainty still remains, although players previously noted as potential No. 3 wideouts have now become serious doubts to even make the roster.

Among them is Jalen Hurd, whom the 49ers took one round after they selected Samuel three years ago, but has yet to play a single regular-season snap for the Niners.

Shanahan noted last week that there’s “not a lot of time left” for Hurd to make an impression, but that doesn’t mean he can’t, just that he likely won’t, make the 53-man roster. But San Francisco could still try to figure out a way to bring him back to the practice squad and see if he can stay healthy and make an impression there before cutting him loose.

That leaves two more wideout spots left, either of which is available for any player on the current roster to snag with quality reps in practice or the rest of the preseason.

For now, those slots are going to Jauan Jennings, who has looked good in camp and played well in the preseason opener against Kansas City, and Nsimba Webster who has impressed as well.

Both would need to show themselves able to handle special teams duties, and a lot could change here, but for now, the youth movement is on.