Inman: 49ers’ 53-man roster projection entering training camp

SANTA CLARA That s a wrap on the ers minicamp and offseason project one that lacked drama for a welcome change and instead introduced a barrage of new teammates They re six weeks shy of training camp and three months from opening the season in Seattle A lot can change but here is a stab at how the initial -man roster might look QUARTERBACK Starter Brock Purdy Backups Mac Jones Tanner Mordecai Non-football injury list Kurtis Rourke knee Biggest dilemma If Jones tanks in camp is Mordecai capable of leapfrogging him for the QB role and must that coincide with Rourke s ACL being ready as QB RUNNING BACK Starters Christian McCaffrey Kyle Juszczyk FB Backups Isaac Guerendo Jordan James Still in mix Patrick Taylor Jr Israel Abanikanda Corey Kiner Biggest dilemmas Will all make it to Week healthy especially McCaffrey Could Kiner shine in the preseason and get claimed before the ers can stash him on the practice squad WIDE RECEIVER Starters Jauan Jennings Ricky Pearsall Backups Demarcus Robinson Jacob Cowing Jordan Watkins Physically unable to perform list Brandon Aiyuk knee Still in mix Junior Bergen Terique Owens Isaiah Neyor Russell Gage Isaiah Hodgins Malik Knowles Injured reserve Trent Taylor back Biggest dilemmas Robinson is expected to draw a three-game suspension for his November drunken-driving arrest while on the Rams so the ers need to know when the NFL will issue that discipline and thus create the need for a fifth receiver on the opening roster As much as they like Owens son of Hall of Famer Terrell Owens Neyor might be tougher to get through waivers and onto the practice squad Also a veteran addition may be needed if Aiyuk and Robinson are unavailable so will it be Hodgins Gage Knowles or a athlete to be signed later TIGHT END Starter George Kittle Backups Luke Farrell Ross Dwelley Still in mix Jake Tonges Brayden Willis Mason Pline Biggest dilemmas Are three enough while another one or two are stashed on the practice squad Can Pline make a big enough jump in camp to warrant his -man debut OFFENSIVE LINE Starters LT Trent Williams LG Ben Bartch C Jake Brendel RG Dominick Puni RT Colton McKivitz Backups Matt Hennessy Nick Zakelj Spencer Burford Connor Colby Andre Dillard Still in mix Austen Pleasants Zack Johnson Drew Moss Drake Nugent Sebastian Gutierrez Suspended Isaac Alarcon four games PED Biggest dilemmas The starting five seems set unless Hennessy unseats Brendel and or Bartch loses out to Zakelj or Hennessy Dillard s first practices will come at training camp so will he prove an upgrade over Pleasants Interior reserves could be ripe for a surprise DEFENSIVE LINE Starters DE Nick Bosa DE Mykel Williams DT Jordan Elliott DT Alfred Collins Backups DE Bryce Huff DT C J West DE Yetur Gross-Matos DT Evan Anderson DE Sam Okuayinonu DT Kevin Givens Still in mix DE Robert Beal Jr DT Kalia Davis DE Jonathan Garvin DT Tarron Jackson DT Sebastian Valdez Biggest dilemma Givens experience trumps Davis and Anderson s but could the young defensive front go younger LINEBACKER Starters Fred Warner Dee Winters Nick Martin Backups Luke Gifford Tatum Bethune Nick Surratt In the mix Jalen Graham Stone Blanton PUP list Curtis Robinson knee Biggest dilemma Why not convert Graham - pounds back into a safety where he played at Purdue CORNERBACK Starters Deommodore Lenoir Renardo Green Backups Upton Stout Tre Brown Chase Lucas In the mix Dallis Flowers Tre Avery Darrell Luter Jr Derrick Canteen Siran Neal Injured reserve Tre Tomlinson Biggest dilemma Who will emerge as the No cornerback because all legitimately could make a matter to join Stout and Brown as backups SAFETIES Starters Ji Ayir Brown Jason Pinnock Backups George Odum Marques Sigle In the mix Richie Grant Jaylen Mahoney PUP Malik Mustapha knee Biggest dilemma Might they still add another veteran safety after practicing this offseason without Mustapha Brown Odum and Sigle Related Articles Robert Saleh starts ers sequel with a good first couple of months Brandon Aiyuk is healing incredibly well from knee injury ers GM says Is Christian McCaffrey back to his old self We ll find out at ers training camp ers new addition Bryce Huff on woes in Philly You live and you learn ers Deommodore Lenoir could be in outside role but he ll still be in middle of things SPECIALISTS Kicker Greg Joseph Punter Thomas Morstead Long snapper Jon Weeks In the mix K Jake Moody Biggest dilemma Does Joseph have enough runway to unseat Moody who s changed to a two-step approach on kicks after his sophomore struggles