49ers roster 2023: Tay Martin doesn't have favorable odds to survive cuts

Second-year wide receiver Tay Martin has some provocative upside, but the 49ers' wide receiver room is already stacked and deep.

A little over a year ago, the San Francisco 49ers inked former Oklahoma State wide receiver Tay Martin as an undrafted free agent.

As was expected, Martin spent the bulk of his rookie season on the Niners practice squad, given there wasn't exactly a lot of room for him to sniff a roster spot on a team already loaded with playoff-caliber talent.

When the 2022 season concluded, Martin did manage to squeak into two games, playing one offensive snap with no stats attached to it, while getting 21 snaps on special teams.

Entering 2023, Martin might have a slightly better chance at impressing San Francisco's coaching staff en route to a roster spot.

But that wide receiver depth chart is still packed with talent, and there's going to be plenty of bodies vying for the final one or two spots on the 53-man roster here.

What 49ers would like about Tay Martin

At 6-foot-3 and 185 pounds, Martin has a long and lanky frame that doesn't scream physicality, yet he is a very good route-runner and someone who can create separation with some solid footwork.

This was part of our own write-up of Martin a year ago.

A reliable target during his time with the collegiate Cowboys, Martin is a kind of "throw it up to him and he'll get it" wide receiver.

Aside from Jauan Jennings, the 49ers don't have too many of those kinds of wideouts.

How much are the 49ers paying Tay Martin?

According to Over the Cap, Martin could receive up to $750,000 this season if he manages to make the Niners' 53-man roster.

There's zero in guaranteed money after having spent his rookie season on the practice squad, though, so it's safe to assume Martin's spot is anything but guaranteed.

If Martin does make the 53-man squad, he'd be a controllable exclusive-rights free agent in 2024.

What would have to happen for Tay Martin to make 49ers' 53-man roster?

Putting things bluntly, there are a lot of factors working against Martin and his hopes of making San Francisco's 53-man group.

The 49ers would have to keep six wideouts, for sure, as the first four spots are taken by Jennings, Ray-Ray McCloud, Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel. No questions there. The fifth and sixth spots are likely going to be fought over by two veterans, Chris Conley and Willie Snead, along with two younger players in second-year pro Danny Gray and the rookie, Ronnie Bell.

Martin would have to outperform effectively all of those latter names during training camp to stand a chance, and he's already at a disadvantage against Gray because of a lack of speed (Gray has it, Martin doesn't) and against Bell, who is far more physical over the middle.

Conley is just as good a route-runner, too, meaning his veteran's savvy weighs more than Martin's potential.

Again, Martin could put on the training camp of a lifetime before continuing to dazzle in the preseason, but all these scenarios panning out over a few short weeks seem unlikely.

What's more likely is Martin, at best, finding his way back onto the Niners' practice squad for a second consecutive year.

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