A way way too early projected 2022 49ers 53-man roster

With the NFL’s new league year just 11 days in, I thought it’d be fun to make an early 53-man roster projection, as earlier this week I took look at what players I had as locks, along with a look at the 2022 & 2023 salary cap situations.

I believe there are 43 players on the current roster that will make the opening day 53-man roster, baring injuries, with them, & their 2022 cap numbers below.

1. QB Trey Lance(2024)- $7,751,195
2. QB Nate Sudfeld(2022)- $2,000,000
3. RB Elijah Mitchell(2024)- $870,893
4. RB Trey Sermon(2024)- $1,107,485
5. RB Jeff Wilson Jr.(2022)- $1,085,000
6. FB Kyle Juszczyk(2025)- $2,958,750
7. WR Deebo Samuel(2022)- $4,890,519
8. WR Brandon Aiyuk(2023)- $3,417,641
9. WR Jauan Jennings(2022)- $825,000
10. WR/KR/PR Ray-Ray McCloud(2023)- $1,910,000
11. TE George Kittle(2025)- $7,769,765
12. TE Charlie Woerner(2023)- $940,258
13. C Alex Mack(2023)- $6,725,000
14. LG Aaron Banks(2024)- $1,607,638
15. LG Colton McKivitz(2022)- $895,000
16. RG Daniel Brunskill(2022)- $2,433,000
17. LT Trent Williams(2026)- $14,031,765
18. LT Jaylon Moore(2024)- $905,759
19. RT Mike McGlinchey(2022)- $10,880,000
20. DE Nick Bosa(2022)- $10,805,564
21. DE Samson Ebukam(2022)- $8,250,000
22. DE Charles Omenihu(2022)- $2,540,000
23. DE Jordan Willis(2022)- $970,000
24. DE Kerry Hyder Jr.(2022)- $1,500,000
25. DT Arik Armstead(2024)- $9,576,000
26. DT Javon Kinlaw(2023)- $4,224,191
27. DT Kevin Givens(2022)- $895,000
28. NT Hassan Ridgeway(2022)- $1,800,000
29. WLB Dre Greenlaw(2022)- $2,620,429
30. MLB Fred Warner(2026)- $8,134,588
31. MLB Oren Burks(2023)- $1,408,000
32. SLB Azeez Al-Shaair(2022)- $3,986,000
33. CB Charvarius Ward(2024)- $3,800,000
34. CB Emmanuel Moseley(2022)- $6,555,529
35. CB Ambry Thomas(2024)- $1,087,693
36. CB Deommodore Lenoir(2024)- $896,217
37. FS Jimmie Ward(2022)- $12,935,588
38. FS Tarvarius Moore(2022)- $965,000
39. SS Talanoa Hufanga(2024)- $885,038
40. SS George Odum(2024)- $1,435,000
41. PK Robbie Gould(2022)- $5,509,313
42. P Mitch Wishnowsky(2022)- $1,156,018
43. LS Taybor Pepper(2022)- $1,120,000

Next up are the 49ers current 2022 draft picks, and what they’ll cost.

1. 2^nd-round(#61^st-overall, 2025)- $1,136,274
2. 3^rd-round(#93^rd-overall, 2025)- $968,497
3. 3^rd-round(#105^th-overall, 2025)- $954,876
4. 4^th-round(#134^th-overall, 2025)- $902,792
5. 5^th-round(#172^nd-overall, 2025)- $788,386
6. 6^th-round(#187^th-overall, 2025)- $761,024
7. 6^th-round(#220^th-overall, 2025)- $743,853
8. 6^th-round(#221^st-overall, 2025)- $743,853
9. 7^th-round(#262^nd-overall, 2025)- $727,665

Now, obviously the 49ers won’t end up using all of these 9 picks, as they’ll most likely look to package picks to trade up, or trade down, maybe for future picks.

Ok, next up is my players who I’d have making the team as of now, players who are 50/50, with their 2022 cap numbers.

1. RB JaMycal Hasty(2022)- $895,000
2. C Jake Brendel(2022)- $895,000
3. DT Mauirce Hurst Jr.(2022)- $1,047,500
4. SLB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles(2022)- $895,000
5. CB Dontae Johnson(2022)- $895,000

Below is my current projected

OFFENSE:

QB(2): 5 Trey Lance(2024), & 7 Nate Sudfeld(2022)
RB(4): 25 Elijah Mitchell(2024), 22 Jeff Wilson Jr.(2022), 28 Trey Sermon(2024), & 23 JaMycal Hasty(2022)
FB(1): 44 Kyle Juszcyzk(2025)
WR(6): 19 Deebo Samuel(2022), 11 Brandon Aiyuk(2023), 15 Jauan Jennings(2022), 14 Ray-Ray McCloud(2023), N/A, & N/A
TE(3): 85 George Kittle(2025), 89 Charlie Woerner(2023), & N/A
C(2): 50 Alex Mack(2023), & 64 Jake Brendel(2022)
LG(2): 65 Aaron Banks(2024), & 68 Colton McKivitz(2022)
RG(2): 60 Daniel Brunskill(2022), & N/A
LT(2): 71 Trent Williams(2026), & 76 Jaylon Moore(2024)
RT(1): 69 Mike McGlinchey(2022)

DEFENSE:

DE(6): 97 Nick Bosa(2022), 56 Samson Ebukam(2022), 94 Jordan Willis(2022), 92 Charles Omenihu(2022), — Kerry Hyder Jr.(2022), & N/A
DT(3): 91 Arik Armstead(2024), 90 Kevin Givens(2022), & 96 Maurice Hurst Jr.(2022)
NT(2): 99 Javon Kinlaw(2023), & — Hassan Ridgeway(2022)
WLB(1): 57 Dre Greenlaw(2022)
MLB(2): 54 Fred Warner(2026), & — Oren Burks(2023)
SLB(2): 51 Azeez Al-Shaair(2022), & 45 Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles(2022)
CB(6): 35 Charvarius Ward(2024), 4 Emmanuel Moseley(2022), 20 Ambry Thomas(2024), 38 Deommodore Lenoir(2024), 27 Dontae Johnson(2022), & N/A
FS(2): 1 Jimmie Ward(2022), & 33 Tarvarius Moore(2022)
SS(2): 29 Talanoa Hufanga(2024), & 30 George Odum(2024)

SPECIAL TEAMS:

PK(1): 9 Robbie Gould(2022)
P(1): 18 Mitch Wishnowsky(2022)
LS(1): 46 Taybor Pepper(2022)

I do have 54 spots, and the reasoning for this is, the fact that I don’t know what position the 49ers would go with less, obvious answer may be defensive line, but the 10 + 1 other I have seem like a safe bet, but we’ll see come September.

Ok, so with the 48 players I have making it, plus the 9 draft picks, the 49ers cap commitment would come to $178,399,556, plus $6,612,613 in dead money, for a total cap commitment of $185,012,169, which would give the 49ers $28,361,992 in cap room, and when we add in the teams practice squad, which should cost $2,902,500, that would leave the team with $25,456,792 in cap room for the 2022 season, but this doesn’t include any other free agent addition, or extensions for Deebo Samuel, & Nick Bosa.

Now, we must address Dee Ford, and his situation, as he recently restructured his contract, creating $4.96 million in salary cap room, which, along with George Kittle, & Arik Armstead’s restructures helped get the 49ers under the 2022 salary cap to begin the offseason.

I believe the 49ers will carry Ford on short term injured reserve or reserve/PUP, in hopes that he can come back, and play for them, which would put the 49ers salary cap room down to $18,506,795, which is a good amount, with the likelihood that the 49ers would be able to carryover somewhere in the $10 million to $12 million range to 2023, which, under my projections from the article I wrote earlier today, that would give the team either $32,141,669 with $10 million carryover, plus Alex Mack on the roster, or $34,141,669 with $12 million, carryover plus Alex Mack on the roster, but that’s with just 35 potential players, with 51, they’d have either $19,391,669 with $10 million carryover, plus Mack on the roster, or $21,391,669 with $12 million carryover, plus Mack on the roster.

Now, if Alex Mack does retire, then the 49ers would have either $45,466,669 with $10 million carryover, or $37,466,669 with $12 million carryover, but that’s with just 34 players, so with 51 signed, they’d have either $19,391,669 with $10 million carryover, or $21,391,669 with $12 million carryover.

Of course, this is depended upon the 49ers moving on from Jimmy Garoppolo, which saves the 49ers $25.55 million, but the 49ers can create more cap room, they can restructure Trent Williams($4.904 million saved), and Fred Warner($1,223,200 saved), or they can extend Jimmie Ward($6.224 million saved), which would mean that his $6.395 million pending dead money hit in 2023 would go away, and his cap number could be in the $6.395 million to $8 million range for 2023.

So, let me reiterate the fact that the 49ers SHOULD’NT borrow cap room from the future, just top appease a fanbase that wants them to go out, and sign older washed up players, or injury prone players, the likes of Bobby Wagner, Stephon Gilmore, & Julio Jones, or go out and overpay Tyrann Mathieu, this way the 49ers have salary cap room to carryover into 2023, because they have to potentially replace some good players, or re-sign those players.

When it comes to the 2022 draft, the 49ers needs, in my eyes are as follows, they need to find a 5^th & 6^th wide receivers, a 3^rd tight end, a center to groom behind Mack, an EDGE rusher to go opposite Nick Bosa long term, another young cornerback, & potentially a safety, either free safety or strong safety, and potentially a 5^th linebacker if they feel Flannigan-Fowles isn’t cutting it.

As for the remainder of free agency, it’d be nice to see the 49ers add a veteran to play right guard, or left guard, depending on where Aaron Banks end up playing in 2022.

And with that said, I thank you for reading, as always, leave a comment, or follow me on Twitter @49erscap.

About Author

Jason Hurley

Die Hard 49ers fan from New York, been covering the 49ers salary cap since 2005, with several different websites, including NinersNation.com, & the now defunct NinerCapHell, I have a track record of being as accurate as possible, & I try to be as thorough as possible.

See author's posts