The 49ers made their roster cuts official. Here’s what the initial 53-man roster looks like after the announcement, with some changes due to come in the coming days.
Quarterback (3)
Jimmy Garoppolo
Nick Mullens
CJ Beathard
It wasn’t hard to predict what this group would look like. A trade could still be in the works for one of the two backups.
Running back (3)
Matt Breida
Tevin Coleman
Raheem Mostert
Jerick McKinnon went on IR, which meant San Francisco kept only three running backs. Jeff Wilson Jr. or Austin Walter could be practice squad bound.
Fullback (1)
Kyle Juszczyk
No surprise here.
Wide receiver (7)
Dante Pettis
Marquise Goodwin
Trent Taylor
Richie James
Deebo Samuel
Jalen Hurd
Kendrick Bourne
We had Jordan Matthews making the team over Bourne, but the former UDFA survived. He’ll be needed early in the year with Taylor and Hurd battling injuries.
Tight end (4)
George Kittle
Ross Dwelley
Levine Toilolo
Kaden Smith
Instead of making a choice here, the 49ers elected to keep four. We had Toilolo and Smith on the outside of the roster after the final preseason game.
Offensive line (8)
OT Joe Staley
OT Mike McGlinchey
OT Justin Skule
OL Daniel Brunskill
G/C Ben Garland
G Laken Tomlinson
G Mike Person
C Weston Richburg
We actually had this group correct. Brunskill is an intriguing, versatile athlete who played tight end in college. Skule is probably the swing tackle on Sundays.
Cornerback (5)
Richard Sherman
Ahkello Witherspoon
Jason Verrett
K’Waun Williams
Emmanuel Moseley
We had this group correct. No real surprises here after rookie Tim Harris went on Injured Reserve.
Safety (4)
Jaquiski Tartt
Jimmie Ward
Tarvarius Moore
DJ Reed
A small surprise was the release of Marcell Harris, a second-year player who was drafted in the sixth-round a year ago. He was a starter at the end of last season, but struggled in the preseason. Reed will probably see most of his action in the slot, but his versatility in the secondary and special teams made him a must-keep player.
Linebacker (5)
Fred Warner
Kwon Alexander
Azeez Al-Shaair
Mark Nzeocha
Dre Greenlaw
We had Elijah Lee on our last projection, but he was cut in favor of undrafted rookie Azeez Al-Shaair. Al-Shaair should see plenty of action on special teams.
Defensive line (10)
DeForest Buckner
Dee Ford
Arik Armstead
Nick Bosa
Solomon Thomas
Sheldon Day
DJ Jones
Ronald Blair
Jullian Taylor
Kentavius Street
Kentavius Street wound up on the final roster. He’s an IR candidate though. His inclusion on the final roster means he’ll be eligible to return after Week 8 if his knee injury heals up.
Specialists (3)
K Robbie Gould
P Mitch Wishnowsky
LS Colin Holba
This group is locked in until Kyle Nelson is back from suspension. He’s serving six more games after being handed a 10-game suspension for PEDs last season.
