The 49ers concluded mandatory minicamp last week, which means there’s more evidence to predict a 53 man roster heading towards the 2022 season.
Yes, a lot of things have changed for the San Francisco 49ers in the wake of Niner Noise’s previous roster-bubble watch stemming from the team’s actions in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Perhaps the biggest development was the sudden (if not predicted) retirement of veteran Pro Bowl center Alex Mack, whose departure creates a significant void on the depth chart. This is made more notable by considering the Niners didn’t exactly identify an experienced and high-quality replacement either before or in the immediate aftermath of Mack’s retirement.
Mack, understandably, wasn’t at mandatory minicamp, which concluded last week. Yet there was good news, though, as All-Pro wide receiver Deebo Samuel was in attendance despite his offseason trade request. And while he didn’t partake in full-team practices, it’s nevertheless a good sign having him back at the facility.
Enough of all that, though.
We have some additional practice sessions in the books. So, in response to that, let’s update San Francisco’s roster bubble with our usual criteria:
- Lock (not going anywhere)
- Strong bubble (not a lock, but looking pretty good)
- Weak bubble (a seriously uphill fight to make the cut)
- Long shot (so you’re telling me there’s a chance… right?)
Going through each player currently on San Francisco’s 90-man offseason roster, let’s apply what we learned in minicamp and see who’s safe, on the bubble and has next to no chance heading into 2022.
Starting off with special teams.
49ers bubble watch: Special teams
Lock: Robbie Gould, Mitch Wishnowsky, Taybor Pepper
Strong bubble: None
Weak bubble: None
Long shot: None
Again, as was the case following the 2022 draft, there’s no change among the battery of special teams specialists.
Kicker Robbie Gould enters the final year of his contract, one which cost the 49ers an average of $3.6 million on an annual basis. That’s a lot for an aging, middle-of-the-road kicker, but the Niners are effectively committed to it anyway.
And after not having brought aboard any new-face specialists to compete with him, punter Mitch Wishnowsky and long-snapper Taybor Pepper, there’s no real drama outside Gould’s contract outlier to discuss.
The only thing San Francisco will hope for here is consistency with the battery, namely by the way of all three players staying healthy for the duration of the upcoming season.
49ers bubble watch: Safety
Lock: Talanoa Hufanga, Jimmie Ward, George Odum
Strong bubble: Tarvarius Moore, Dontae Johnson
Weak bubble: Leon O’Neal*
Long shot: Tayler Hawkins*
* denotes rookie
A few shakeups to the 49ers’ crop of safeties.
Second-year pro Talanoa Hufanga has been getting the bulk of first-team reps at strong safety opposite Jimmie Ward, and that seems to be the plan moving forward. And while this development might mean George Odum’s chances to start on defense are lessened, Odum’s sizable contract that includes over $3 million in guaranteed money, per Over the Cap, means he isn’t going anywhere.
Tarvarius Moore, who missed all of 2021 after suffering an offseason Achilles tear, has zero in guaranteed money, though, so his hold on a roster spot is a bit more precarious. He’ll have to prove his health and an ability to contribute.
The veteran, Dontae Johnson, switched over from cornerback to safety during offseason workouts, and he’s primed to assume a backup role, too, and his versatility should put him in strong contention to make the roster.
This isn’t necessarily the case with the two undrafted rookies, though, Leon O’Neal and Tayler Hawkins, neither of whom were particularly impressive during mandatory minicamp.
49ers bubble watch: Cornerback
Lock: Emmanuel Moseley, Ambry Thomas, Charvarius Ward, Samuel Womack III*
Strong bubble: Darqueze Dennard, Jason Verrett
Weak bubble: Tariq Castro-Fields*, Qwuantrezz Knight*, Deommodore Lenoir
Long shot: Ka’dar Hollman
It’s weird to think the Niners’ cornerback room could actually be a position of strength this season after so much weakness a year ago, but that speaks to the amount of investment given by San Francisco here during the offseason.
One of the low-risk moves was to bring back Jason Verrett, whose torn ACL back in Week 1 was awfully disappointing, yet the 49ers surely feel comfortable with his veteran presence and leadership.
If he proves to be healthy by training camp, he’ll likely be a lock.
The Niners’ fifth-round rookie, Samuel Womack, also impressed during organized team activities and minicamp. And while it might be premature to automatically slide him in as the starting nickel corner this season, signs are at least pointing up.
That nickel job could go to the veteran, Darqueze Dennard, but it likely won’t go to second-year pro Deommodore Lenoir, who also struggled in minicamp after being benched last season.
That won’t bode well for his roster chances in 2022.
49ers bubble watch: Linebacker
Lock: Azeez Al-Shaair, Oren Burks, Dre Greenlaw, Fred Warner
Strong bubble: Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles
Weak bubble: Jeremiah Gemmel*, Curtis Robinson
Long shot: Marcelino McCrary-Ball*, Segun Olubi*
San Francisco’s starting linebacker trio of Fred Warner, Dre Greenlaw and Azeez Al-Shaair is all but set, the only real question here is who of Greenlaw and Al-Shaair subs out in nickel packages.
After that, though, things get a bit more challenging to predict.
The 49ers have liked Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles for his special teams prowess, and that bodes well for him as a No. 4 linebacker. And the amount of guaranteed money given to Oren Burks ($1.365 million), one of the Niners’ offseason free-agent pickups, also bodes well for him carving out a solid role on special teams in addition to being a depth option.
Three undrafted rookies — Jeremiah Gemmel, Marcelino McCrary-Ball and Segun Olubi — are all vying for what’ll likely be a chance at the practice squad, yet Gemmel might be the player worth developing the most.
He has an outsider’s chance of making the 53-man roster right away in 2022, provided he makes a lot of special teams prowess, which is something he didn’t exactly do a lot of at North Carolina.
However, Gemmel’s motor and football IQ might be worth retaining instead of subjecting him to waivers before a practice squad designation.
49ers bubble watch: Defensive line
Lock: Arik Armstead, Nick Bosa, Drake Jackson*, Javon Kinlaw, Hassan Ridgeway, Kemoko Turay
Strong bubble: Samson Ebukam, Kevin Givens, Maurice Hurst, Kerry Hyder Jr., Charles Omenihu, Jordan Willis
Weak bubble: Kevin Atkins*, Alex Barrett, Kalia Davis*
Long shot: Dee Ford
There are going to be some good names the Niners will be forced to cut from their defensive line this season.
Developing rookie EDGE Drake Jackson to play opposite Nick Bosa will be a priority, as San Francisco is poised to jettison oft-injured pass-rusher Dee Ford in the near future. But Jackson is likely going to be a situational pass-rusher early in his career, which spells a better chance for Samson Ebukam to avoid the ax after registering 4.5 sacks a year ago.
Likewise, over $1 million each in guaranteed money for two free-agent pickups, Hassan Ridgeway and Kemoko Turay, essentially lock them in, while the 49ers can’t wait to get Javon Kinlaw back from a season-ending knee injury suffered a year ago.
All these players push the remaining crop of depth D-linemen down the list, though, and this might matter when factoring in whether or not players like Jordan Willis, Charles Omenihu, Maurice Hurst and Kevin Givens make the cut.
Givens and Hurst may have legs up over deeper players like Alex Barrett and the undrafted rookie, Kevin Atkins, though, while an ACL tear suffered last season probably means sixth-round rookie Kalia Davis starts off his pro tenure on the non-football injury list.
Either way, expect the Niners to part ways with some players who’ll likely be swiped up quickly by other teams.
49ers bubble watch: Offensive line
Lock: Aaron Banks, Jake Brendel, Daniel Brunskill, Spencer Burford*, Mike McGlinchey, Trent Williams
Strong bubble: Dohnovan West*, Colton McKivitz, Jaylon Moore, Justin Skule, Nick Zakelj*
Weak bubble: Jason Poe*, Keaton Sutherland
Long shot: Alfredo Gutierrez, Sam Schlueter*
Some real drama now.
In the wake of Alex Mack’s retirement, San Francisco has that glaring hole at center, but OTA and minicamp workouts suggest Jake Brendel will be slated as the starting center moving forward.
This also bodes well for the undrafted rookie, Dohnovan West, to surprise as a 53-man roster addition and as Brendel’s primary backup.
The rest of the starting positions aren’t too debatable, although there’s concern about second-year man Aaron Banks being ready to take over at left guard in the wake of Laken Tomlinson departing in free agency for the New York Jets. Right tackle Mike McGlinchey, too, is still working his way back from an offseason quad tear suffered a year ago.
That points to the depth as the next focal point.
Two other drafted rookies, Spencer Burford and Nick Zakelj, may challenge returning linemen like Colton McKivitz, Jaylon Moore and Justin Skule for a roster spot. But Skule has primarily been taking starting snaps as McGlinchey recovers, so that bodes well for the former Vanderbilt product.
The 49ers likely have room for three of those final five names, so this should be a pretty spicy competition to watch in training camp.
49ers bubble watch: Tight end
Lock: Ross Dwelley, George Kittle
Strong bubble: Tyler Kroft, Charlie Woerner
Weak bubble: Tanner Hudson, Jordan Matthews
Long shot: Troy Fumagalli
Minicamp produced some drama at tight end where there are plenty of question marks surrounding who’ll back up the All-Pro, George Kittle.
Kittle didn’t partake in on-field practices, meaning depth options like Ross Dwelley, Tyler Kroft, Tanner Hudson and Jordan Matthews all saw an uptick in reps.
Hudson, Kroft and Matthews all made some notable catches, too, according to multiple reports from those sessions available to the media.
It’s feasible the Niners keep four tight ends, especially in light of Kittle’s notable injury history. But the more realistic route will be only three on the roster, meaning two of those aforementioned backup names will have to go.
Should San Francisco bank of Kroft over Hudson, and can Matthews fully develop after transitioning from wide receiver? Or will the 49ers continue relying on third-year pro Charlie Woerner’s blocking prowess over his catching abilities?
Tough questions to answer, and the situation here remains fluid and competitive.
49ers bubble watch: Wide receiver
Lock: Brandon Aiyuk, Danny Gray*, Jauan Jennings, Ray-Ray McCloud, Deebo Samuel
Strong bubble: Malik Turner
Weak bubble: KeeSean Johnson, Marcus Johnson, Austin Mack
Long shot: Taysir Mack*, Tay Martin*
It’s good to at least have Deebo Samuel back in the picture, which means the first three spots on the wide receiver depth chart are all but set: Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and Jauan Jennings. And while Aiyuk struggled with some drops in OTAs and minicamp, he’ll still have a featured role.
The same can’t be said about the third-round rookie, Danny Gray, however. True, his roster spot is safe, but a hamstring injury kept him out of minicamp, and that could potentially impact his role as a speed threat in year one.
Instead, the field-stretching prowess during minicamp went to former Pittsburgh Steelers return specialist Ray-Ray McCloud, who easily makes the cut because of his special teams prowess but might see an uptick in offensive use, too, provided he’s healthier and more reliable than Gray.
As for the back end, there should be a juicy battle for spot No. 6 on the depth chart, assuming the Niners keep that many, and the early indications are Malik Turner, a free-agent pickup from the Dallas Cowboys this offseason, has been separating himself from the rest of the pack.
49ers bubble watch: Running back
Lock: Tyrion Davis-Price*, Kyle Juszczyk, Elijah Mitchell
Strong bubble: Trey Sermon, Jeff Wilson Jr.
Weak bubble: JaMycal Hasty, Jordan Mason*
Long shot: Josh Hokit
There’s plenty of fluidity when it comes to evaluating San Francisco’s running back room, and about the only guarantee is Kyle Juszczyk will start at fullback, relegating Josh Hokit to the practice squad for yet another season.
We can and should assume last year’s rookie standout, Elijah Mitchell, is a lock after his 963-yard campaign a year ago, but whether or not he’s a clear-cut starter is largely contingent upon the 49ers’ third-round selection of Tryion Davis-Price from this year’s draft.
Davis-Price, more of a power back, could take a lot of the workload away from Mitchell and others on the depth chart, including Trey Sermon and Jeff Wilson Jr., who aren’t necessarily in vital danger of being pushed off the roster but aren’t quite guaranteed spots either.
Particularly if another undrafted rookie, Jordan Mason, continues to impress. He has been one of the better performers during offseason workouts, pushing him up the depth chart from a long shot and onto the weaker portion of the bubble.
If Mason continues to thrive, things could get awfully interesting on the back end of the running back room entering the regular season.
49ers bubble watch: Quarterback
Lock: Trey Lance, Nate Sudfeld
Strong bubble: None
Weak bubble: Jimmy Garoppolo, Brock Purdy
Long shot: None
Ah, yes. The most intriguing depth-chart battle to take place for the Niners in training camp: Who winds up securing the No. 2 spot at quarterback behind Trey Lance?
Lance received all the first-team reps during OTAs and mandatory minicamp with the veteran, Jimmy Garoppolo, sidelined because of offseason shoulder surgery. And with San Francisco still looking to trade Garoppolo before Week 1, it doesn’t appear as if Lance will lose QB1 duties anytime soon, if at all.
Granted, there’s still a slight chance Garoppolo stays on the roster this season, provided the 49ers can’t find a trade partner and elect to keep him at a drastically reduced salary correlating to a backup role.
Read More: Jimmy G’s absence from minicamp is another Trey Lance endorsement
If Garoppolo is moved, however, those duties fall upon the two others on the roster, Nate Sudfeld and the final pick of the 2022 draft, Brock Purdy.
Sudfeld, who carries $2 million in dead money if cut, is assuredly making the 53-man roster in one way or another despite him not doing much to separate himself from Purdy during offseason workouts.
Whether or not the Niners elect to keep three quarterbacks on the regular-season roster will ultimately determine Purdy’s chances, and then only if Garoppolo is dismissed.