Recently I went over my locks for this team, so today I want to go over the locks that have to prove themselves the most to keep their position on the 53-man roster, or secure their spot,as we know not all players who I deem locks are guaranteed a roster spot.
In case you missed it, here’s my article from earlier this month on my locks, 50/50s, and longshots.
Now, the players with the most to prove to keep their job or secure their spot on the 53-man roster, in no particular order.
- WR/KR/PR Ray-Ray McCloud III – McCloud is a lock as of now, mainly due to his return abilities, but with the new rule that a fair catch on kickoffs are taken out to the 25-yard line, it might de-value what gives McCloud his upper hand, plus the 49ers have talented receivers like 7th-rounder Ronnie Bell, Chris Conley, & Willie Snead IV all looking to make this team.
- WR Danny Gray – The 49ers made Gray a 3rd-round pick in 2022, but with the rules on special teams changing, yearly, Gray must show a lot at WR to secure his spot, especially with Bell, Conley, & Snead all competing.
- TE Brayden Willis – It’s very rare to have a 7th-round pick as a lock, but I just view Willis as one, but he will have to earn it, with Ross Dwelley, who got $700,000 guaranteed, and former 6th-rounder Charlie Woerner vying for a roster spot.
- LG Nick Zakelj – I have Zakelj as a lock, as he has all the versatility that the 49ers love, but he needs to show it in camp, as he’ll compete with the likes of Joey Fisher, Ilm Manning, Jaylon Moore, & Matt Pryor for a roster spot.
- DE Clelin Ferrell – While I do have Ferrell as a lock, he only has $580,000 of his base salary guaranteed, and he’s not been impressive in first 4 years, so he needs a strong camp to keep guys like Robert Beal Jr., Kerry Hyder Jr., & Austin Bryant from taking his spot.
- DE Robert Beal Jr. – While I don’t view Beal not making the team, he still needs to show it come preseason & training camp, as he’ll have to battle the likes of Kerry Hyder Jr., and Austin Bryant for a roster spot.
- DT Javon Kinlaw – Kinlaw is only a lock because he can’t be cut without the 49ers not gaining any cap room, so he needs a strong candidate for the 49ers to either do the unthinkable & cut him, or trade him to keep someone like T.Y. McGill Jr., who got $400,000 guaranteed in his deal.
- MLB Oren Burks – I do have Burks as a lock, but it can’t be ignored that he’s on the last year of a 2-year deal, and the 49ers signed Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles to a 1-year deal, with $1.25 million guaranteed, plus they have 2022 UDFA favorite Marcelino McCrary-Ball, and 2023 draft picks Dee Winters, & Jalen Graham fighting for roster spots, so if someone outplays Burks, especially on special teams, then he might be a surprise cut.
- FS Myles Hartsfield – The 49ers signed Hartsfield to a 1-year deal, worth just $1.01 million, and he is a soft lock in my eyes, his versatility is something the 49ers covet so much, plus he’s a Steve Wilks guy, but he needs to show it on both defense, and special teams to not just take a 53-man roster spot, but also justify having 5 safeties active each week.
- SS George Odum – Odum is a lock as of now, he had $665,000 of his base salary become guaranteed on April 1st, 2023, so he might not be as much of a lock as I think he is, as he will have competition for a roster spot, with the likes of UDFA DBs D’Shawn Jamison, & Avery Young, plus former UDFAs Qwuantrezz Knight, & Tayler Hawkins all vying for a roster spot.
There you have it, my top 10 locks who have the most to prove to keep or secure their 53-man roster spot.
Thank you for reading, and follow me on Twitter @49erscap.
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