Early 53-man roster predictions for 49ers after 2023 NFL Draft
By Peter Panacy
Week 1 is a long time away, but let's take a post-NFL Draft stab at what the 49ers' 53-man roster will look like to begin the season.
The 2023 NFL Draft is a week old, and we're already looking at predictions for how the San Francisco 49ers' 53-man roster will come together this season.
Ludicrous, right? Of course. But we're having fun with predictions.
Sure, training camp and the preseason will dictate a lot, and head coach Kyle Shanahan still has much more thinking to do before deciding which players from his 90-man offseason roster (including recent draftees and undrafted rookies) make the cut down to 53.
And which ones don't.
Taking into account what we know now, let's offer up early predictions for how the Niners' opening 53-man roster will come together.
This time, there's actually some drama with special teams.
Note: Rookies denoted by an asterisk (*)
49ers post-NFL Draft 53-man roster predictions: Special teams (3)
In: K Jake Moody*, P Mitch Wishnowsky, LS Taybor Pepper
Out: K Zane Gonzalez
San Francisco traded for former Carolina Panthers kicker Zane Gonzalez, but the low-end cost of swapping day-three draft picks next year means the 49ers aren't committed to him in a big way.
By using a third-round pick on former Michigan kicker Jake Moody, the Niners made it clear he's the guy going forward, not Gonzalez. The only way the latter usurps the hotshot rookie is if Moody winds up completely flaming out in camp or suffering some sort of injury.
Onto the secondary now.