The 49ers don’t have a ton of open jobs on their roster, and their depth at most positions has eliminated some of the intrigue about what the initial 53-man roster might look like.
There are certainly some battles still happening and roster spots up for grabs, but opportunities for players well down the depth chart at the start of camp to sneak onto the roster aren’t there in abundance.
Still, there are always potential surprises at final cuts and some players flying under the radar through camp and the preseason could land on San Francisco’s 53-man after final cuts.
Here are six of those potential surprises:
WR Tay Martin
The chances for Martin to make the 49ers initial 53-man roster were always going to be pretty slim, but his experience on the practice squad last year appears to be paying off. He’s had a consistent training camp sprinkled with some splash plays, and in two preseason games he has five catches for 38 yards. With injuries to WRs Danny Gray and Ray-Ray McCloud, the door for Martin to make the club opened a little bit wider. He’s still far from a lock, but of all the WRs down the depth chart it would appear he has as good a shot as any.
WR Willie Snead IV
Snead is the kind of veteran who would likely get back to the 49ers practice squad if he wanted to go that route. He spent part of last season there and earned enough trust from the coaching staff to get into games on offense when he was called up to the active roster. Snead has just three catches in the preseason, but his knowledge of the offense and reliability could make him a 53-man addition this year instead of a practice squad candidate.
OL Leroy Watson IV
There aren’t a ton of surefire backup options on the offensive line for San Francisco. Watson is still in the early stages of his development after transitioning from tight end to offensive tackle last year as an undrafted rookie. His progress has been swift though and it might just be enough to get him a reserve spot on the offensive line. Watson would likely be inactive on game days, but if he can get quality practice reps during the year it might allow him to be a viable option down the stretch if the 49ers need to dig into their OT depth.
OL Ilm Manning
Manning is in a similar boat to Watson except he comes with a wealth of experience at offensive tackle. The 49ers will likely aim to get Manning back on their practice squad to see if he can develop long term as an interior offensive lineman. Given his experience at tackle and some of the growth he’s shown in camp though he coaching staff may elect to keep him as a swing tackle option this year before working on moving him inside next season. If the team determines Manning is one of their seven or eight best offensive linemen, it’s hard to imagine they let him go.
LB Marcelino McCrary-Ball
Don’t forget about McCrary-Ball in the 49ers glut of talent at linebacker. Rookies Jalen Graham and Dee Winters have gotten most of the shine this preseason. Then there are veterans like Oren Burks and Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles who have plenty of NFL game experience on their side. McCrary-Ball is a second-year undrafted free agent who was with San Francisco’s practice squad all of last season. It may come down to special teams at the back end of the LB depth chart, but McCrary-Ball could easily find his way in over one of the two rookies or one of the two more experienced veterans.
S Tayler Hawkins
Hawkins put together a nice preseason as an undrafted rookie in 2022 and spent last year on the 49ers practice squad. This year he’s playing well again and earned some praise from 49ers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks. It would be pretty shocking if he made it over one of the four safeties ahead of him on the depth chart, but if San Francisco really believes in him they could trim the roster elsewhere to keep Hawkins for special teams and better depth in the back end of their secondary.
