49ers 53-man roster prediction before final preseason game vs. Texans
By Peter Panacy
49ers 53-man roster predictions: Defense (24)
Defensive end (6): Nick Bosa, Samson Ebukam, Charles Omenihu, Drake Jackson*, Kemoko Turay, Jordan Willis
Defensive tackle (4): Arik Armstead, Javon Kinlaw, Hassan Ridgeway, Kevin Givens
Right out of the gate, San Francisco is faced with some tough decisions regarding its defensive line.
The starting foursome of Nick Bosa, Arik Armstead, Javon Kinlaw and Samson Ebukam aren’t too hard to figure out, and rookie Drake Jackson has been impressive enough during the preseason to suggest he might be starting by the end of the year.
But, assuming Kyle Shanahan keeps just 10 on the 53-man roster, an experienced starting-caliber lineman will have to go.
Both Kemoko Turay and Hassan Ridgeway are due more in guaranteed cash than Kerry Hyder, while Jordan Willis offers far more speed and has made a bigger impact than Hyder this preseason so far.
Unfortunately for Hyder, he gets left out of the equation.
Linebacker (5): Fred Warner, Dre Greenlaw, Azeez Al-Shaair, Oren Burks, Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles
A little less drama at linebacker, although the five named to the 53-man roster will create a little bit of a heartbreak for undrafted rookie Marcelino McCrary-Ball, whose interception return for 57 yards helped set the defensive tone against the Green Bay Packers in the opening week of exhibition football.
McCrary-Ball is still one of those dark-horse candidates to make the cut, though, but a practice-squad designation seems more likely.
Behind the obvious starters of Fred Warner, Dre Greenlaw and Azeez Al-Shaair, the 49ers appreciate both the versatility and special teams prowess of both Oren Burks and Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles, and that matters for depth.
Cornerback (5): Charvarius Ward, Emmanuel Moseley, Samuel Womack*, Deommodore Lenoir, Qwuantrezz Knight*
OK, back to some drama for a change. Charvarius Ward and Emmanuel Moseley are both returning from injuries suffered earlier in training camp, but the expectation is they’ll both be fully healthy by Week 1.
A surprise development, though, was the sudden fury of great play by rookie Samuel Womack, whose two-interception game against the Packers afforded the Niners the opportunity to part ways with Darqueze Dennard in the first wave of cuts.
Fellow rookie Qwantrezz Knight, undrafted but promising, has also blossomed nicely and could be one of those surprise additions.
Equally surprising, though, has been Deommodore Lenoir taking over as the better corner from the 2021 NFL Draft class, which has pushed Ambry Thomas onto the periphery. And with Thomas dealing with an injury right now, there’s a chance San Francisco elects to use a waived/injured designation on him where he could end up on injured reserve as a midseason reinforcement if no one claims him.
The 49ers already did something similar with cornerback Jason Verrett, his 2022 campaign starting off on the reserve/physically unable-to-perform list, meaning he can’t come back for at least four games.
Safety (4): George Odum, Talanoa Hufanga, Tarvarius Moore, Jimmie Ward
Yes, Jimmie Ward is listed as a reserve right now, as expectations are he’ll miss Week 1 with a hamstring injury, perhaps longer.
If the Niners feel he won’t be available for at least three games, Ward might receive a Verrett-like treatment. Since that hasn’t happened, though, it’s more likely Ward winds up simply a Week 1 inactive, leaving special teams ace George Odum in the starting free safety role alongside Talanoa Hufanga at strong safety and Tarvarius Moore as a big nickel.
The inevitable Dontae Johnson probably winds up being released, only to re-sign to the practice squad, and he eventually finds his way back onto the active roster at some point this year.
Seriously, it happens every season. It will again.