It's way too early to be projecting the San Francisco 49ers' initial 53-man roster, seeing as it's March and the NFL Draft hasn't happened, nor is the team finished signing free agents, even if players signed at this point are more likely to be camp bodies rather than potential contributors in 2025.
But this exercise is still an interesting one to undertake for one simple reason: It gives a good indication of where the roster is at this juncture in the offseason and where the Niners need to flll holes either via the draft, trade, or further free-agent signings.
The general idea is to highlight which players of the 73 the 49ers have under contract feel like locks or extremely likely to make the initial roster.
Over the last few offseasons, even these early projections have been rather easy, as the roster has felt solid heading into the draft, with questions being raised about how many slots there were for the rookies to make the team.
In 2025, that won't be the case, something this breakdown should make abundantly clear.
Quarterbacks
Locks: Brock Purdy, Mac Jones
Likely/Practice Squad: Tanner Mordecai
This group seems pretty well set with the only question being whether or not the third quarterback -- in this case, Tanner Mordecai -- makes the 53-man roster or spends the season on the practice squad while dressing on game days as the emergency third signal-caller. Mordecai was on the PS for all of 2024.
Outside of that, Brock Purdy is due for a big salary bump this offseason, and the Niners brought in former first-round draft pick Mac Jones to be the backup on a reported two-year deal worth up to $11.5 million, although only $5 million is guaranteed.
Whether the 49ers bring in another quarterback for training camp remains to be seen, but outside of replacing Moredcai, there aren't really any questions here.
Running Backs
Locks: Christian McCaffrey, Isaac Guerendo, Kyle Juszczyk
Likely: Patrick Taylor, a mid-round draft pick
Possible: Israel Abanikanda
Traditionally, Kyle Shanahan has kept five running backs: four halfbacks and a fullback.
Jordan Mason's trade to the Minnesota Vikings means that second-year back Isaac Guerendo is stepping into the backup role behind Christian McCaffrey, who will look to bounce back after an injury-plagued 2024. Guerendo is a better fit behind CMC anyway, as his skill set is closer to what the former NFL Offensive Player of the Year does on the field.
Fullback Kyle Juszczyk was released when the new league year but found the open market less than palatable, so he's back on a two-year deal, with the contract reportedly worth $8 million.
Also returning is Patrick Taylor, whom the 49ers hope will be able to focus only on special teams this season, since that means the health in the running back room is better than it was in 2024.
The top three feel locked in, with Taylor having a slight edge as a special teams option, although there's no guarantee he'll make the cut. The same could be said for Israel Abanikanda, whom the Niners claimed off of waivers from the New York Jets last year, but never used him. A full offseason could allow him to show out and claim a roster spot.
After that, Mason's departure makes it a near lock the 49ers will draft a running back with a player like Cameron Skattebo from Arizona State serving as an interesting mid-round option.
Either way, look for the back half of the running back room to get a shake-up heading into the season.
Wide Receivers
Locks: Brandon Aiyuk (PUP), Jauan Jennings, Ricky Pearsall, Jacob Cowing
Likely: Demarcus Robinson, day 2/3 draft pick
Possible: Terique Owens
Like running back, the top three or four here seem pretty set, although there are complications.
Brandon Aiyuk is unlikely to start the season on the active roster, so he's bound to the PUP list and opens up another slot to start the season, which could bump up some of these names.
The rest of the top group is easy: Jauan Jennings, coming off a career season, Ricky Pearsall and Jacob Cowing, with newly signed Demarcus Robinson hanging out just on the periphery of the "lock" category (although his contract all but guarantees he'll make the team, barring a disastrous camp).
Beyond that, it's fairly likely San Francisco will add another receiver in the draft, and depending on where he's drafted will increase his likelihood of making the roster.
Another name to watch is Terique Owens, the son of Hall of Famer Terrell, a player the Niners like, but he'll have an uphill climb to make the team, especially if they draft a player in the second or third round.
Tight Ends
Locks: George Kittle, Luke Farrell
Likely: 2nd/3rd round draft pick
Possible: Brayden Willis, Jake Tonges
Once again, the top of this group is easy, with All-Pro George Kittle and newly signed Luke Farrell inked in as the top two, with the hope that the former Jacksonville Jaguar can free Kittle up to run more routes as opposed to being used as a blocker as frequently as he has been.
After that, it's wishful thinking.
The hope is the 49ers finally invest in a talented pass catcher to pair with Kittle, who will be looking for an extension this offseason that will allow him to finish his career as a 49er, and possibly function as Kittle's replacement down the road.
If that's the case, then that mystery tight end (maybe someone like Bowling Green's Harold Fannin Jr, Miami's Elijah Arroyo, or Texas' Gunnar Helm) will slide into that third tight end spot.
The 49ers only kept two tight ends initially in 2024, but eventually brought Brayden Willis back to get to three, but anything beyond that feels unlikely, so both Willis and Jake Tonges could be on the outside looking in, especially if the Niners splash in the draft.
Offensive Lineman
Locks: Trent Williams, Dominick Puni, Jake Brendel, Colton McKivitz, Ben Bartch
Likely: Spencer Burford, draft pick
Possible: Nick Zakelj, Austen Pleasants
Your mileage will vary on whether this is good or not, but if the season started today (thankfully, it does not), the starting offensive line would probably look like the locked group.
Should the 49ers have invested in a better center? Probably, although it's always possible they draft a guy there to step in, but it almost certainly won't be for 2025.
So barring another mid-round guy pulling a Dominick Puni and grabbing a starting job by the horns and making it his own, this quintet is likely the starting unit.
Spencer Burford played well in relief of Bartch when the latter left the Chicago Bears game with an injury and is as close to a lock outside of the starters as it gets. He could be the swing tackle or utility guy since Jaylon Moore got a massive contract to flee to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Outside of that, you hope they draft a guy who can be depth next to Burford. And then there's Nick Zakelj, who has stuck around despite not playing very much since joining the team as a sixth-round draft pick in 2022.
Austen Pleasants is another name to watch out for, although the depth of this group is seriously up for grabs.
Defensive Lineman
Locks: Nick Bosa, Yetur Gross-Matos, Jordan Elliott, Kevin Givens, high draft pick
Likely: Sam Okuayinonu, Evan Anderson, mid-round draft pick(s)
Possible: Drake Jackson, Kalia Davis, Robert Beal
What a shakeup this unit has seen this offseason.
Gone are Leonard Floyd, Javon Hargrave, and Maliek Collins, three players the 49ers will pay not to play for them in 2025, not to mention the remaining dead-cap hit for now-Jaguars defensive tackle Arik Armstead.
That leaves a starting front four of Nick Bosa, Yetur Gross-Matos, Jordan Elliott, and Kevi Givens, a group that features one superstar and a bunch of useful players who are best in rotational roles (although the chess piece of YGM is great to have around). This group also includes an assumed high draft pick, possibly as early as the 49ers' first-rounder at No. 11 overall.
Behind them are two UDFAs from last season who showed out when given a chance in Sam Okuayinonu and Evan Anderson, players who will have a chance to make the team again but are far from locks to do so.
Then there are possibilities who range from high draft picks who have disappointed (Drake Jackson) to later-round picks who could slide in as rotational players but you'd prefer to upgrade if you can.
Needless to say, this group needs an influx of talent and should see several drafted rookies fighting to upgrade the defensive line, a unit that has been the calling card of the best 49ers teams since Shanahan and John Lynch arrived.
Linebackers
Locks: Fred Warner, Dee Winters, Luke Gifford
Likely: Tatum Bethune, draft pick
Possible: Curtis Robinson, Jalen Graham
There is no doubt the 49ers' defense is going to miss Dre Greenlaw, something we know because it was clear how big of a hole he left when he was out for most of the 2024 season.
But Greenlaw is in Denver now, which means the Niners have to replace him as best they can.
Thankfully, they still have All-Pro Fred Warner manning the middle, so they can boast the best single linebacker in the league, even if the title of best duo in the NFL is no longer theirs.
Dee Winters has a little Greenlaw in him but has yet to show the consistency needed to be counted upon as the second linebacker next to Warner. Expect Winters to get the first crack at being the guy this offseason.
Luke Gifford was brought in for his skills as a special teams ace, so while he'll fit into the linebacker unit, the 49ers will be hoping someone like Tatum Bethune, a 2025 draft pick, or even Curtis Robinson or Jalen Graham will seize the third starting role, albeit one that isn't on the field all the time.
This is a decent if unspectacular group (outside of Warner), but there are opportunities for young guys to take spots and make them theirs.
Secondary
Locks: CB Deommodore Lenoir, CB Renardo Green, S Malik Mustapha, S Ji'Ayir Brown, S/ST George Odum
Likely: S Jason Pinnock, S Richie Grant, S/ST Siran Neal, CB draft pick
Possible: CB Darrell Luter, CB Tre Avery, CB Tre Tomlinson, CB Tre Brown
The issue here, as you may be able to see right off the bat, is the 49ers have a lot of safeties on the roster.
It's likely they have their starting outside corners already set with Deommodore Lenoir and Renardo Green, but the slot corner is still in flux, even if the answer is to continue to slide Lenoir inside, since you then have the question of who takes over on the outside in that case.
A guy like Darrell Luter has yet to put it to together, but the team clearly likes him, so he and one of the the trio of Tres will very likely move up into one of the upper tiers at some point, although there is also the chance that the Niners draft a cornerback early enough in the draft that the rookie supplants all of those players
Of the Tres, following the numbers suggest that Avery is the front runner, although he hasn't played a ton on defense in his three seasons in Tennessee.
The middle group, along with George Odum, will likely make up the special teams units, although all of them won't make the team.
The starting safety duo is half in flux as well, with the expectation that Malik Mustapha will start next to someone -- maybe Ji'Ayir Brown, maybe newly signed Jason Pinnock.
But there are many questions as to how this group eventually pans out, although there are probably 10 available spots here (six corners and four safeties, or maybe an even five/five split).
Like other places on the roster, there are holes to fill.
Specialists
Locks: Nobody
Likely: K Jake Moody, LS Jon Weeks, undrafted rookie punter or FA
Possible (but not likely): Mitch Wishnowsky
The projection ends with a true mess, one that special teams coordinator Brant Boyer will have his hands full trying to figure out.
Yes, you read that correctly: No one is safe.
Jake Moody will, at worst, see some friendly competition this offseason, as his contract makes him very cuttable (the 49ers would face just $214,378 for each of the next two seasons in dead money if they cut him after training camp with over $1 million savings each year).
Similarly, the 39-year-old long-snapper looks like he follows neither the "younger" nor the "cheaper" mandate from Lynch, but Jon Weeks' deal is also easy to get out of with little dead money and some cap savings.
And then there's the punter situation.
Mitch Wishnowsky is set to cost $2.2 million against the cap in 2025, but all that remains on the extension he signed in May of 2019 are two unguaranteed seasons and three (three!) void years.
If he gets cut during training camp -- the most likely option at this point -- he'll count for $770,000 in dead money for this and next year and $220,000 each of the following two seasons. But in each of those years, the cap savings ($1.4, $2.7, $988,000, and -$220,000) outweighs the dead cap hit.
On top of that, Wishnowsky hasn't been steady in recent years, played just nine games in 2024 with various injuries, and just turned 33 in early March. It's time to move on.
Final Thoughts
Two things are clear here.
First, the 49ers still have top-notch players at various places on their roster, and in many cases those players (Kittle, Warner, Bosa, etc.) are among the best at their positions in the NFL.
Second, there are a lot of questions that still need to be answered, and the 49ers must have a very successful 2025 draft to improve upon their 6-11 campaign this season, along with staying healthy.
Otherwise, it may be a long year in San Francisco yet again.
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