49ers 53-man roster predictions ahead of first preseason game vs. Packers

The 49ers open their preseason at Levi’s Stadium against the Packers on Friday night. Before the kickoff, Niner Noise updates its 53 man roster prediction.

Sure, it’s only a preseason game. But the San Francisco 49ers play a football game on Friday night, hosting the Green Bay Packers at Levi’s Stadium to kickoff the 2022 NFL calendar.

The opening of the preseason means that training camp is all but over, save for a few practices here and there in between games of a busy schedule over the next few weeks.

The Niners will take on the Packers at home before traveling to Minnesota for two joint practices with the Vikings prior to the two squads matching up in a preseason game next Saturday. San Francisco closes out the practice games five days later, facing the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium on Aug. 25.

While the games are vital for helping head coach Kyle Shanahan, general manager John Lynch, and the rest of the staff make final decisions on the roster, the fact of the matter is there aren’t a lot of openings across what is a solid San Francisco team.

Of note, the center battle between Daniel Brunskill and Jake Brendel will be one to watch, as the two have been rotating heavily throughout training camp. Other than that, who will line up alongside free safety Jimmie Ward in the defensive backfield, and who will win the starting nickel back role are the main ones to watch over the next few weeks.

That doesn’t make predicting who will make the 49ers’ 53-man roster at the end of the month any more intriguing, so let’s break down the roster position by position and see who will crack the final group once Week 1 rolls around.