San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan has a serious wide receiver problem.
With No. 1 wideout Brandon Aiyuk still on the mend after last year's ACL and MCL tears, plus others like Jauan Jennings, Ricky Pearsall and Jacob Cowing dinged up in one manner or another, Shanahan finds himself awfully shorthanded at the position with the 2025 preseason just around the corner.
Shanahan and general manager John Lynch could make an aggressive move between now and Week 1, yes.
Or, they can hope an under-the-radar option presents itself, including one undrafted rookie who has been making waves in camp, Isaiah Neyor.
Neyor has gone from a complete unknown to a camp standout, which means it's impossible to leave him off Niner Noise's latest 53-man roster prediction as we close out the second week of training camp.
49ers' 53-man roster prediction, training camp edition
* denotes rookie
Quarterback (3)
- Brock Purdy
- Mac Jones
- Tanner Mordecai
No real surprises here with Purdy sitting high after his lofty extension, followed by a rejuvenated Jones, who seems to be excelling under Shanahan's tutelage.
Mordecai, the second-year pro, is likely the gameday third-string emergency QB, while San Francisco has a decision to make with its seventh-round draftee, Kurtis Rourke, who's still recovering from a collegiate ACL tear and would either have to be placed on season-ending injured reserve before Week 1, or the 49ers would have to choose between holding a roster spot for him and subsequently placing him on IR or risking him being claimed with a waived/injured designation.
Running back (5)
- Kyle Juszczyk
- Christian McCaffrey
- Isaac Guerendo
- Jordan James*
- Patrick Taylor Jr.
Again, few surprises, although there are some concerns about James' recently disclosed injury that could create an opportunity for undrafted rookie Corey Kiner to crack the Week 1 roster.
Kiner has been fumbling in practices, though, and that won't bode well for his battle to beat out someone like Taylor, whose primary benefit is the ability to contribute on special teams.
Wide receiver (6)
- Jauan Jennings
- Ricky Pearsall
- Demarcus Robinson
- Jacob Cowing
- Jordan Watkins*
- Isaiah Neyor*
Robinson is a wild card, contingent upon whether or not the NFL dishes out a suspension for a DUI last year. If so, veteran receiver Russell Gage would get the call after a strong camp.
With Aiyuk likely starting the year on the physically unable-to-perform (PUP) list, Neyor is the easy call to hang around and still could at the expense of another position surrendering a roster spot, backing up the likely Week 1 starting duo of Jennings and Pearsall, assuming those two are fully healthy.
Tight end (3)
- George Kittle
- Luke Farrell
- Brayden Willis
Kittle and Farrell are guaranteed spots, the latter for reasons that include both a hefty contract and his prowess as a blocker, thereby freeing up the former for more pass-catching duties.
The real tight end battle happens after that where Willis, Mason Pline, Jake Tonges and a returning veteran, Ross Dwelley, battle it out.
Shanahan has kept four tight ends before. But, in this scenario, the third and final spot goes to Willis.
Offensive line (9)
- Trent Williams
- Ben Bartch
- Jake Brendel
- Dominick Puni
- Colton McKivitz
- Spencer Burford
- Matt Hennessy
- Nick Zakelj
- Drake Nugent
The first five (starting) spots on the offensive line seem set, from left to right with Williams, Bartch, Brendel, Puni and then McKivitz holding down the first-team unit.
Burford, after an up-and-down tenure the previous two years, is a candidate to play swing tackle, while Hennessy is poised to be a quality reserve, too.
The Niners' obsession with Zakelj is interesting, although he appears to have beefed up during the offseason, while Nugent gets a call in his second year to serve as Brendel's backup.
Defensive line (10)
- Nick Bosa
- Alfred Collins*
- C.J. West*
- Mykel Williams*
- Bryce Huff
- Yetur Gross-Matos
- Jordan Elliott
- Kevin Givens
- Sam Okuayinonu
- Evan Anderson
A new-look defensive line still has plenty of questions, particularly with three rookies -- Collins, Williams and West -- expected to play significant roles out of the gate.
That could force Shanahan and Lynch's hand to keep 10 options, and it wouldn't be a shock if coordinator Robert Saleh asks to keep things this way until the first-year pros develop properly.
Gross-Matos, Okuayinonu and Anderson remain on the fringes, though, so they'll have to keep impressing to stave off an in-season cut.
Linebacker (5)
- Fred Warner
- Dee Winters
- Nick Martin*
- Chazz Surratt
- Luke Gifford
Winters and Martin, the rookie, appear neck and neck in the primary battle to replace now-Denver Broncos backer Dre Greenlaw, but the loser of that LB2 competition likely winds up simply becoming the strong-side (SAM) backer instead.
Surratt was a hand-picked offseason addition by Saleh, while Gifford's special teams prowess is coordinator Brant Boyer's calling card.
Cornerback (5)
- Deommodore Lenoir
- Renardo Green
- Upton Stout*
- Tre Brown
- Siran Neal
San Francisco's cornerback depth behind Lenoir and Green is weak, so keeping those two fully healthy is vital. Although, it appears as if Stout is well on his way to securing the starting nickel position after being selected in Round 3 of last April's draft.
Neal might be a surprise addition, yes. But a hefty offseason contract all but ensures he'll make the cut, primarily as a special teams ace.
Safety (4)
- Ji'Ayir Brown
- Jason Pinnock
- Marques Sigle*
- Richie Grant
Pinnock and Grant were two of the 49ers' first free-agent adds last March, coming at the behest of Boyer. With second-year pro Malik Mustapha likely to start the year on the PUP list after last season's late ACL tear, the door is open for Pinnock to start, likely alongside Brown, who is aiming to bounce back from being benched late in 2024.
Sigle, meanwhile, will aim to spoil one of the other veteran's likely starting jobs sooner than later.
Special teams (3)
- Jon Weeks
- Thomas Morstead
- Jake Moody
Boyer wholly overhauled the special teams battery by parting ways with punter Mitch Wishnowsky and replacing him with Morstead, then bidding farewell to long-snapper Taybor Pepper and adding Weeks.
Yet there's a dynamic kicking competition between the embattled Moody and the offseason pickup, Greg Joseph.
Sure, some may see that competition as neck and neck. But, in this prediction, the tie goes to the incumbent, meaning Moody stays.
For now, at least.