49ers roster bubble watch with 2023 NFL Draft in the books
By Peter Panacy
49ers roster bubble watch: Wide receiver
Lock: Brandon Aiyuk, Jauan Jennings, Ray-Ray McCloud III, Deebo Samuel
Strong bubble: Ronnie Bell*, Danny Gray
Weak bubble: Chris Conley, Tay Martin, Willie Snead IV
Long shot: Dazz Newsome, Isaiah Winstead*, Shae Wyatt*
Not quite as deep as the tight end class, the 49ers nevertheless used a draft pick on Michigan wideout Ronnie Bell in Round 7, and it's easy to argue he should have been drafted much higher.
Bell, who has already impressed a bunch in rookie minicamp, is in great shape to make the Niners' 53-man roster if Kyle Shanahan keeps six wideouts on the squad, yet Bell could potentially even challenge for a No. 5 role behind the obvious bunch of Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel, Jauan Jennings and Ray-Ray McCloud, all of whom have specific niche roles that won't change heading into 2023.
Would that push out second-year pro Danny Gray, though? Gray, the third-round draftee from a year ago fell out of favor following a strong preseason, and he caught one pass on seven targets for 10 yards.
While San Francisco probably isn't committed to giving up on Gray just yet, we've already seen what happens to wide receivers who fall into Shanahan's doghouse (see Dante Pettis in 2019 and 2020).