The 49ers on Sunday wrapped up a productive second week of training camp. Perhaps the best news for San Francisco is that there hasn’t been a ton of news out of Santa Clara. A nice, quiet camp where the on-field product is the star was a necessity for the 49ers after a rocky couple of seasons to begin head coach Kyle Shanahan’s tenure.
Roster battles are in full swing as injured players get healthy and the practice reps begin to separate who is where on the non-existent depth chart. With a couple weeks of camp in the books, we re-opened our 53-man roster projection to make some tweaks.
We did a pre-training camp edition ahead of camp. Here’s what our projection looks like with the 49ers’ first preseason game looming:
Quarterback (2)
Jimmy Garoppolo
Nick Mullens
C.J. Beathard had the leg up in our pre-training camp roster projection, but Mullens has been the better quarterback in camp. San Francisco may look to trade either Mullens or Beathard in hopes of at least securing a draft pick for one. They may also decide on keeping three quarterbacks.
Notable cuts: C.J. Beathard
Running back (4)
Jerick McKinnon
Matt Breida
Tevin Coleman
Raheem Mostert
This isn’t likely to change at any point during camp barring injury. McKinnon is still on the PUP list after two weeks of practice, but that shouldn’t affect his chances to make the roster.
Notable cuts: Jeff Wilson Jr.
Fullback (1)
Kyle Juszczyk
He’s the best fullback in the league. Nobody’s close to unseating him.
Wide receiver (6)
Dante Pettis
Marquise Goodwin
Trent Taylor
Richie James
Deebo Samuel
Jalen Hurd
We swapped out James for Jordan Matthews because not only has James had a good camp, but he provides help in the return game. Bourne is having a good camp too and may force the 49ers to keep seven receivers. This group is far from finished battling for roster spots, and they remain the most fascinating aspect of camp for San Francisco.
Notable cuts: Kendrick Bourne, Jordan Matthews
Tight end (3)
George Kittle
Kaden Smith
Ross Dwelley
No huge changes here. Garrett Celek would be a tough cut since he’s a veteran presence in the tight end room, but he’s on the final year of his deal and will likely start the season on the PUP list. Tyree Mayfield’s athleticism and ability to play fullback could make him an intriguing dark horse candidate.
Notable cuts: Garrett Celek
Offensive line (8)
OT Joe Staley
OT Mike McGlinchey
OT Shon Coleman
G Najee Toran
G/C Ben Garland
G Laken Tomlinson
G Mike Person
C Weston Richburg
The offensive line depth will need to begin separating itself, but Joshua Garnett’s finger surgery is keeping him out for three weeks. That’s a major blow to his chances of landing on the final roster. Najee Toran gets the nod for now, but that could certainly change. Ben Garland is filling in at center with Richburg out. His versatility should help him in the final cuts. Shon Coleman’s job as the swing tackle isn’t secure either after two weeks of camp.
Noteable cuts: Justin Skule, Joshua Garnett
Cornerback (6)
Richard Sherman
Ahkello Witherspoon
Jason Verrett
K’Waun Williams
DJ Reed
Tim Harris
This group stays the same for now, but Emmanuel Moseley has made his case with a good camp. He can also play special teams. The cornerbacks are a lot like the receivers in that there’s a clear group up top, with a huge battle set to take place at the back of the roster. The rest of the preseason will be very telling for the corners.
Notable cuts: Greg Mabin, Emmanuel Moseley
Safety (5)
Adrian Colbert
Jaquiski Tartt
Jimmie Ward
Marcell Harris
Tarvarius Moore
No changes here from our last projection. Nobody has separated themselves yet, and Ward is still working in slowly following a broken collarbone. Injuries are a key factor in the safety group, so that’ll be worth keeping a close eye on to see if a spot opens up for the veteran Exum.
Notable cuts: Antone Exum Jr.
Linebacker (6)
Fred Warner
Kwon Alexander
Elijah Lee
Mark Nzeocha
David Mayo
Dre Greenlaw
Malcolm Smith is having a good showing at camp, according to reports. That could make for a fascinating competition among the inside linebackers. They have enough special teams players that Nzeocha, Lee or Mayo could be expendable if they think Smith can contribute at a high level as the Sam linebacker.
Notable cuts: Malcolm Smith
Defensive line (9)
DeForest Buckner
Dee Ford
Arik Armstead
Nick Bosa
Solomon Thomas
Sheldon Day
DJ Jones
Ronald Blair
Jullian Taylor
Swapping out Kentavius Street for Day is the only change along the defensive front. That competition is still playing itself out in camp. This should be a deep defensive line regardless.
Notable cuts: Kentavius Street
Specialists (3)
K Robbie Gould
P Mitch Wishnowsky
LS Colin Holba
No changes to this group. Holba will be around until Kyle Nelson’s suspension is over after Week 7. Gould’s commitment to the club with a four-year contract this offseason helped that spot from becoming an issue for the 49ers.
