The 49ers seem confident that Brock Purdy will be ready for training camp, meaning he should be the opening day starting quarterback, so it’s time for my 5th roster projection.<\/p>\n
Below are the 91 players signed, with their salary cap number.<\/p>\n
Next up is the roster projection by position.<\/p>\n
Quarterback(3):<\/strong><\/p>\n 13 Brock Purdy(2025) Analysis<\/strong>: With the recent rule of a 3rd QB being able to be active without taking up a active gameday roster spot, it’s obvious the 49ers will keep 3 QBs, and I have them going with Purdy as QB1, while Lance & Darnold will be QB2 & QB3.<\/p>\n Running Backs\/Fullbacks(5):<\/strong><\/p>\n 23 Christian McCaffrey(2025) Analysis<\/strong>: This is obvious to me, CMC will be the teams lead back, with Mitchell as RB2, while Mason should be RB3, Juice will be the starter at FB, but the question is whether or not they keep 4 RBs or not, I’m going with Davis-Price, but I can see someone like Khalan Laborn kept, or they could just go with 3 backs, and extra somewhere else.<\/p>\n Wide Receivers(6):<\/strong><\/p>\n 19 Deebo Samuel(2025) Analysis<\/strong>: I believe the 49ers keep 6 WRs this season, with Deebo & BA being the starters, while Jennings is back as the slot WR, the only competition will be for the last 3 spots, I chose McCloud, Gray, & Bell, as I feel they have, either on offense, or special teams, the upper hand, but look out for Chris Conley, & Willie Snead IV.<\/p>\n Tight Ends(3):<\/p>\n 85 George Kittle(2025) Analysis<\/strong>: For now I’m going with 3 TEs, with Kittle as the obvious starter, and Latu & Willis as the backups, meaning Ross Dwelley, & Charlie Woerner get cut, but I expect Dwelley back on the practice squad, as he got $700,000 guaranteed in his base salary.<\/p>\n Offensive Lineman(8):<\/strong><\/p>\n 64 Jake Brendel(2026) Analysis<\/strong>: I went with just 8 offensive lineman, with the obvious first 5 as starters, Brendel at C, Banks & Burford at LG, & RG, and Trent & McKivitz at LT & RT, with Feliciano, Zakelj, & Pryor as the backups. But look out for Jason Poe, & rookie UDFA Joey Fisher, also don’t count out Jaylon Moore.<\/p>\n Defensive Lineman(10):<\/strong><\/p>\n 97 Nick Bosa(2023) Analysis<\/strong>: I don’t think there’s much unknown as far as who makes the roster, as of now, but Bryant, & Kinlaw aren’t hard locks to make the team, as I can see the team trading Kinlaw, and keeping Kerry Hyder Jr., & T.Y. McGill Jr. on the roster, plus they could opt to keep 11 defensive lineman.<\/p>\n Linebackers(5):<\/strong><\/p>\n 54 Fred Warner(2026) Analysis<\/strong>: I’ve opted to keep the 2 rookie draft picks, over the likes of Marcelino McCrary-Ball, a fan favorite, and Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles, who got $1.25 million fully guaranteed on a 1-year deal, but with the team showing they’re not shy to eat cap room, as they did with Nate Sudfeld, I see them either cutting or trading Flannigan-Fowles, trying to save some of his guaranteed money. Also if Burks doesn’t show up, he might be fighting for a roster spot, and I was tempted to keep McCrary-Ball over Burks.<\/p>\n Cornerbacks(5):<\/strong><\/p>\n 7 Charvarius Ward(2024) Analysis<\/strong>: This is easy for me, these 5 corners are the 5 I see the 49ers keeping, meaning Ambry Thomas will have to show a lot at corner, and on special teams to make the 53, but I just don’t see it happening, so the team opts to keep just 5 corners.<\/p>\n Safeties(5):<\/strong><\/p>\n 31 Tashaun Gipson Sr.(2023) Analysis<\/strong>: I just don’t see much debate here, these 5 should all make the team, especially with the versatility of Hartsfield, who can play Safety, and Cornerback, and expect Ji’Ayir Brown to be used in 3 Safety sets.<\/p>\n Special Teams(3):<\/strong><\/p>\n 4 Jake Moody(2026) Analysis<\/strong>: This is obvious, there’s no way the 49ers keep Zane Gonzalez, and waive 3rd-round pick Jake Moody.<\/p>\n Practice Squad:<\/strong><\/p>\n QB 4 Brandon Allen* As for the 49ers 2023 salary cap situation, they’d be $4,692,111 under their 2023 adjusted cap, but this is before a Nick Bosa contract extension, which would save the team $9.779 million, giving the 49ers $14,471,111 in cap room entering the 2023 season.<\/p>\n As for 2024, the team would be $16,147,043 over the projected 2024 salary cap of $256 million, this includes a projected $12 million salary cap number for Nick Bosa, with 41 players signed, or $24,097,043 over with 51 signed.<\/p>\n But they will have 4 players who will or could see their base salaries escalate in 2024, Talanoa Hufanga, Deommodore Lenoir, Aaron Banks, & Elijah Mitchell, which could put the team as much as $25,680,459 over with 41 players signed, or $33,630,459 over with 51 players signed.<\/p>\n But don’t worry, as I liken 2024 to 2022 when the team was over $20 million over the cap before they were able to restructure George Kittle, & Arik Armstead to get under the cap, and they were able to not only keep then RFA Azeez Al-Shaair on the 2nd-round tender, and sign Mooney Ward to a big money deal, so I expect similar in 2024, and I’ll explain below.<\/p>\n As I’ve mentioned before, the 49ers have ways of creating salary cap room, with them listed below.<\/p>\n RB Christian McCaffrey \u2013 $8,472,000 (Restructure)<\/p>\n WR Deebo Samuel \u2013 $15,877,600 (Restructure)<\/p>\n TE George Kittle \u2013 $9,752,000 (Restructure)<\/p>\n LT Trent Williams \u2013 $15,072,000 (Restructure)<\/p>\n DT Arik Armstead \u2013 $12,960,000 (Extension or Restructure)<\/p>\n MLB Fred Warner \u2013 $11,340,000 (Restructure)<\/p>\n WLB Dre Greenlaw \u2013 $5,580,000 (Extension or Restructure)<\/p>\n CB Charvarius Ward \u2013 $9,148,000 (Extension or Restructure)<\/p>\n If the 49ers were to extend Armstead, Greenlaw, & Ward, they\u2019d save $27.688 million, while restructuring Deebo Samuel\u2019s deal saves the team $15,877,600, for a total savings of $43,565,600, which would leave the 49ers $17,885,141 in cap room with 40 players signed, or $9,935,141 with 51 players signed.<\/p>\n The team would likely tender Jauan Jennings, who will be a restricted free agent, at the 2nd<\/sup>-round tender level, which would be $4.901 million, but the 49ers will still be able to bring back whatever free agents on cheap 1-year deals, while adding some vets on 1-year deals, and making 1 splash signing on a multi-year deal.<\/p>\n I also need to remind people that the 49ers can save cap room with a Brandon Aiyuk extension, which I do believe will happen, as well as the team will have adjustments\/credits, and carryover, as none of the aforementioned cap room numbers were calculated into the 2024 numbers.<\/p>\n
\n5 Trey Lance(2024)
\n14 Sam Darnold(2023)<\/p>\n
\n25 Elijah Mitchell(2024)
\n24 Jordan Mason(2024)
\n32 Tyrion Davis-Price(2025)
\n44 Kyle Juszcyzk(2025)<\/p>\n
\n11 Brandon Aiyuk(2024)
\n15 Jauan Jennings(2023)
\n3 Ray-Ray McCloud III(2023)
\n6 Danny Gray(2025)
\n10 Ronnie Bell(2026)<\/p>\n
\n81 Cameron Latu(2026)
\n9 Brayden Willis(2026)<\/p>\n
\n65 Aaron Banks(2024)
\n74 Spencer Burford(2025)
\n71 Trent Williams(2026)
\n68 Colton McKivitz(2024)
\n51 Jon Feliciano(2023)
\n63 Nick Zakelj(2025)
\n75 Matt Pryor(2023)<\/p>\n
\n95 Drake Jackson(2025)
\n91 Arik Armstead(2024)
\n98 Javon Hargrave(2026)
\n94 Clelin Ferrell(2023)
\n56 Austin Bryant(2023)
\n33 Robert Beal Jr.(2026)
\n99 Javon Kinlaw(2023)
\n90 Kevin Givens(2023)
\n93 Kalia Davis(2025)<\/p>\n
\n57 Dre Greenlaw(2024)
\n48 Oren Burks(2023)
\n53 Dee Winters(2026)
\n50 Jalen Graham(2026)<\/p>\n
\n2 Deommodore Lenoir(2024)
\n22 Isaiah Oliver(2024)
\n26 Samuel Womack III(2025)
\n28 Darrell Luter Jr.(2026)<\/p>\n
\n29 Talanoa Hufanga(2024)
\n27 Ji’Ayir Brown(2026)
\n30 George Odum(2024)
\n38 Myles Hartsfield(2023)<\/p>\n
\n18 Mitch Wishnowsky(2026)
\n46 Taybor Pepper(2025)<\/p>\n
\nRB 36 Khalan Laborn
\nFB 49 Jack Colletto
\nWR 17 Chris Conley*
\nWR 83 Willie Snead IV*
\nTE 82 Ross Dwelley*
\nC 61 Corey Luciano
\nRG 51 Jason Poe
\nG 66 Joey Fisher
\nT\/G 60 Ilm Manning
\nRT 77 Alfredo Gutierrez**
\nDE 92 Kerry Hyder Jr.*
\nDT 96 T.Y. McGill Jr.*
\nSLB 40 Marcelino McCrary-Ball
\nCB 43 Qwuantrezz Knight
\nCB 49 D’Shawn Jamison
\nFS 36 Avery Young<\/p>\n