49ers roster: Mid-training camp 53-man roster projection

49ers Quarterbacks (3)

QB Brock Purdy

QB Trey Lance

QB Sam Darnold

Much has been made of not only Purdy being cleared for practice and not being placed on the PUP list to start training camp, but also of the battle behind the presumed starter.

Purdy is not a full-go yet, allowing Lance and Darnold, and even Brandon Allen, to get a decent chunk of reps when the second-year quarterback is resting his surgically-repaired elbow. This has led to a host of questions surrounding which quarterbacks will end up as Purdy's direct backup and even whether Shanahan should opt to keep four signal-callers on the final roster.

While that last question seems an easy one to answer, the battle to be QB2 isn't quite so clear cut. And depending on who you ask, you'll get a different answer as to which of the two best options is currently winning the battle.

For our purposes, the order isn't really that important and may even be fluid as the season goes along anyway. Suffice it to say: Shanahan will keep three quarterbacks, Brock Purdy is the starter until he proves he isn't, and Lance and Darnold will, in one order or another, be the backups.

I'm sure the 49ers would love to keep Allen around, but the likelihood is that as soon as they cut him he'll get picked up elsewhere. If he manages to clear waivers, expect him to be back, if he's up for it, on the practice squad.

49ers Running Backs (5)

HB Christian McCaffrey

HB Elijah Mitchell

HB Jordan Mason

HB Tyrion Davis-Price

FB Kyle Juszczyk

There's very little intrigue to be had here.

Christian McCaffrey, who the 49ers traded for midseason last year from Carolina, will be one of the key focal points in Shanahan's offense both in the running game and out in space in the passing game. Elijah Mitchell, provided he can stay healthy, will be his direct backup and hopefully help to avoid some of the wear and tear problems that led to a checkered injury past with the Panthers for McCaffrey.

Jordan Mason showed himself to be one of Shanahan's trusted agents, getting carries over Davis-Price, a rookie the 49ers drafted in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft, when Mitchell was down and the Niners wanted to spell McCaffrey later in the year.

Expect both to be back, especially because Davis-Price has shown management something in the early days of minicamp and training camp this offseason.

And then, of course, Juszczyk remains the one-and-only fullback option for this team, a position he's held down for the entirety of the Shanahan/Lynch regime thus far.

One name to watch is undrafted rookie Khalan Laborn who has turned some heads in training camp so far. The problem for Laborn is the numbers crunch, as he'll have to at least one quality incumbent to make this team.

49ers Wide Receivers (6)

WR Deebo Samuel

WR Brandon Aiyuk

WR Ray-Ray McLoud

WR Jauan Jennings

WR Danny Gray

WR Ronnie Bell

The top of this group is as good as pairing as there is in the league, with Deebo Samuel looking to shake off a self-proclaimed bad season in 2022 and Brandon Aiyuk seeking to build upon his first ever 1000 yard season and breakout as a top receiver in the NFL.

By all accounts, Aiyuk has been the star of the show in training camp so far, which suggests that the 49ers will continue to have one of the league's most dynamic receiving units.

Beyond those two, there are some interesting battles to watch out for.

Ray-Ray McLoud made a massive impact on the 49ers' return game last year, so it feels highly likely that he'll remain with the team, even if he doesn't really crack the rotation as a wide receiver on offense very often.

Jauan Jennings is back on a one-year Exclusive Rights Free Agent tender and will be aiming for more consistency in his third NFL season to earn himself a longterm deal next offseason, either with the 49ers or elsewhere. That should keep him on the roster and make him extra motivated.

After that, there are a number of players who could be in the mix, including veterans like Chris Conley and Willie Snead, younger guys like Dazz Newsome and undrafted rookie Isaiah Winstead, and recent draft picks Danny Gray from the 2022 draft and Ronnie Bell from the most recent draft.

For now, I'm going with the younger guys, mostly because they will be more willing to step in on special teams and Bell might be able to supplant McLoud at some point in the return game. Conley feels like the veteran who could end up on the roster, as he's having a solid camp, but he could also be one that could slip onto the practice squad after roster cuts.

49ers Tight Ends (4)

TE George Kittle

TE Charlie Woerner

TE Cameron Latu

TE Brayden Willis

As I have it here, this is an interesting group.

It features one of the league's best tight ends in former All-Pro George Kittle, a player heading into the final year of his rookie deal that has never really cemented himself as an offensive weapon in Charlie Woerner, and then the 49ers' two 2023 draft picks at the position in Cameron Latu (3rd round) and Brayden Willis (7th round).

There is no comparing any of these guys to Kittle, but Willis has shown some interesting pass-catching skills and athleticism during his college career to suggest that he could be the most likely of the three behind Kittle to provide some offensive spark.

Latu is still learning the position, having moved there from defensive end while in college at Alabama, and while he could eventually blossom, the learning curve will be steep.

The 49ers have been searching for a quality pass-catcher to pair with Kittle and create a two-head-monster at tight end for years to no avail. While it doesn't appear they've found one at face value, Willis will be the one to watch, as he's a guy with the tools to do it.

Because of that, I think he forces the 49ers hand and makes them keep him around.

49ers Offensive Lineman (8)

LT Trent Williams

LG Aaron Banks

C Jake Brendel

RG Spencer Burford

RT Colton McKivitz

OT Matt Pryor

OG/C Jon Feliciano

OL Nick Zakelj or Jason Poe

At this point in training camp, there isn't a lot of buzz around the offensive line because the pads just went on this week and that's when they can really begin to analyze what they have at the position.

Suffice it to say, the starting unit seems pretty well set, with Trent Williams, Aaron Banks, Jake Brendel, Spencer Burford, and Colton McKivitz in place, especially with early returns on McKitiz at right tackle coming up positive. Burford will have to continue to grow in what is now a full-time gig at right guard with Daniel Brunskill gone.

The depth is more questionable, especially at center, so look for veteran utility interior guy Jon Feliciano to lock in a roster spot because of his versatility.

As far as the swing tackle goes, there seem to be struggles there, too, and with Jaylon Moore getting carted off the field on Tuesday, that only becomes a more interesting battle to watch. Veteran free agent signing Matt Pryor gets the nod for now.

Behind them are project guys in former college tackle Nick Zakelj, who is struggling in the transition to center so far, and Jason Poe, who spent last season on the practice squad and may end up doing so again. The final spot may come down to one of the two.