Yes, injuries will give this 53-man projection some bumps and bruises. It’s football, so some level of roster chaos will certainly happen over the course of training camp. The 49ers and every other NFL team will have to call some audibles.

That said, with 17 rookies — eight draftees and nine undrafted free agents — signed and through their first team workouts at last week’s minicamp, we can project how all the puzzle pieces are supposed to fit.

The 49ers will cut their 90-man roster to 53 in early September. They’ll also at that time sign a 17-man practice squad, built mostly of players who don’t make the 53.

Here’s how the roster projects to shape up, based on what we know now, with organized team activities (OTAs) coming later this month. Rookies are italicized.

Quarterbacks (3)

On the 53: Brock Purdy, Mac Jones, Kurtis Rourke
Cut (practice squad eligible): Adrian Martinez

With Purdy (No. 2) and Jones (No. 9) both coming off top-10 finishes in QBR, the 49ers can safely claim to have the NFL’s best quarterback room. But maintaining that beyond 2026, a season during which Jones will make just $3.3 million (pre-incentives) in his final year under contract, will be tricky.

The best bet to provide continued stability might be Rourke, who’s healthy after missing his rookie season recovering from an ACL tear. In an ideal world, Rourke will blossom into a proficient backup for Purdy by the time Jones signs for much more money elsewhere.

Running backs/fullback (5)

On the 53: Christian McCaffrey, Kaelon Black, Jordan James, Isaac Guerendo, Kyle Juszczyk (FB)
Cut (practice squad eligible): Patrick Taylor Jr., Sincere McCormick

Black’s first catch at practice in a 49ers uniform came from Rourke, his former teammate at Indiana.

“It was just like old times,” Black said.

He shared the story of his interview with 49ers GM John Lynch at the Senior Bowl. It turns out that Hall of Fame linebacker Patrick Willis was also in on that visit.

“He didn’t say a word,” Black said of Willis. “But his presence was there. I felt it.”

Black clearly got Willis’ vote of approval. His route running, on display at the Senior Bowl (opens in new tab), also sold a 49ers staff that’s trying to give McCaffrey more breathers. Remember: Better perimeter run blocking can go a long way in boosting all 49ers running backs. Keep that in mind as we go over the wideout room.

Wide receivers (7)

On the 53: Mike Evans, Ricky Pearsall, Christian Kirk, De’Zhaun Stribling, Demarcus Robinson, Jordan Watkins, Jacob Cowing
Still (technically) on the team: Brandon Aiyuk
Cut (practice squad eligible): Will Pauling, Wesley Grimes, Malik Turner, Colton Dowell, Junior Bergen

A seamless spot awaits Stribling in the rotation since Jauan Jennings is now in Minnesota. (The 49ers will see their old friend Nov. 22 in Mexico City.) That’s the big slot position, or the “F” receiver spot. Evans is the “X,” and Pearsall is the “Z,” or the flanker. Don’t be surprised to see the 49ers load up with seven bodies here if health allows; after all, they have run out of receivers in each of the past two seasons.

At least on paper, the team appears to have solved its biggest offensive issue: a lack of separation. They have a true catch magnet at the X now and way more speed across the entire room.

In case you’re wondering about Aiyuk: Expect him to be released or traded in the unlikely event he shows up to the 49ers’ facility and puts himself back in line to make money. If Aiyuk remains MIA, the 49ers will be able to keep him on the “left squad” list at no cost to their roster.

On the 53: Jake Tonges, Luke Farrell
Still on the team: George Kittle (PUP)
Cut (practice squad eligible): Khalil Dinkins, Brayden Willis, Hayden Rucci

Kittle might be vying to return in time for the opener, but the 49ers have little incentive to rush this. It still seems more likely, given the fact that Kittle tore his Achilles just four months ago, that he begins the season with a minimum four-game stay on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list. The 49ers can temporarily call up tight ends from the practice squad to fill out their game-day roster during Kittle’s absence.

The team awarded Dinkins, an undrafted free agent out of Penn State, $285,000 guaranteed. There’s hope that Dinkins’ talent might have flown under the radar in college because he was behind future first-round pick Tyler Warren.

Offensive linemen (9)

On the 53: Trent Williams, Robert Jones, Jake Brendel, Dominick Puni, Colton McKivitz, Vederian Lowe, Brett Toth, Carver Willis, Enrique Cruz Jr.
Cut (practice squad eligible): Austen Pleasants, Zach Thomas, Nick Zakelj, Drake Nugent, Connor Colby, Brandon Parker, Isaac Alarcón (international exception)

Willis, one of two 49ers’ picks from the University of Washington, will immediately compete at left guard. The veteran Jones is the favorite there, but 49ers’ offensive line coach Chris Foerster — who’s good friends with Huskies coach Jedd Fisch — believes the rookie Willis can leave a mark on this line. The 49ers are even eyeing Willis, who spent extra time working on snapping after every practice at Washington, as a potential center of the future.

It’s fair to wonder if the 49ers, especially given Kittle’s injury questions at tight end, might try to work the ultra-fast Cruz in as a sixth O-lineman. Such deployments (opens in new tab) are happening around the league within the Shanahan tree. With Williams, McKivitz, and swing tackle Vederian Lowe all on multi-year deals, that may be the only way for Cruz to see early playing time.

Defensive linemen (9)

On the 53: Nick Bosa, Osa Odighizuwa, Alfred Collins, Keion White, CJ West, Romello Height, Gracen Halton, Sam Okuayinonu, Cam Sample
Still on the team: Mykel Williams (PUP)
Cut (practice squad eligible): Mikail Kamara, Sebastian Valdez, Evan Anderson, Bryson Eason, James Thompson Jr., William Bradley-King, Andrew Farmer II

Williams seems to have a better chance than Kittle to be back for Week 1, but the 49ers will also have the option of playing it safe with him. They signed Sample, a technician who has played at all positions across the line, to bolster depth.

The reconstruction of this front has been rapid. Of the players projected to make the 53-man roster, only Bosa was on the team in 2024. And the 49ers may not be done. They remain interested in Joey Bosa — but only at the right price — while former Pro Bowler Kyle Van Noy has publicly stated his desire to play for them.

An addition like that might better position the 49ers at defensive end under new defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, who’ll likely call for more coverage drops from that position.

Linebackers (6)

On the 53: Fred Warner, Dre Greenlaw, Nick Martin, Luke Gifford, Tatum Bethune, Jaden Dugger
Cut (practice squad eligible): Larry Worth III, Garret Wallow, Jalen Graham

Dugger’s wingspan of more than 7 feet is longer than that of former 49ers edge rusher Aldon Smith. We simply haven’t seen an inside linebacker with such a measurement. It’s not surprising that Dugger, who has 4.6 speed, previously played safety and an outside linebacker/edge rusher role in several seasons.

“I like all of [those positions], but I feel like inside linebacker is a mesh of all of them,” Dugger said at minicamp. “I feel like I got to use my whole skillset at linebacker [in college]. I got to rush when I moved to the edge to blitz, I got to cover as a safety. It’s a mixture of everything.”

The 49ers envision using Dugger in a similarly adaptable way. “Multiplicity” is one of Morris’ favorite words. But it’s unclear if he’ll need a year of behind-the-scenes development first. That’s where Warner, Greenlaw, and maybe even the second-year man Martin — who elevated to a starting position as a rookie last season — come in.

Cornerbacks (7)

On the 53: Deommodore Lenoir, Renardo Green, Upton Stout, Nate Hobbs, Siran Neal, Ephesians Prysock, Jack Jones
Cut (practice squad eligible): Jakob Robinson, Darrell Luter Jr., Eli Apple

The 49ers have considerable depth here. Hobbs and Jones are both veterans who have played good football. Prysock, the 6-foot-3 rookie out of Washington, will likely need more seasoning before he’s ready for the bright lights. The veterans, therefore, will be asked to hold down the fort — with Hobbs the front-runner for the “big nickel” spot.

Remember that a safety, Jason Pinnock, manned that position for most of 2025. The shift to a true cornerback for that role is one signal of a defensive backfield that’s evolving under Morris, a college safety in his playing days.

Safeties (3)

On the 53: Malik Mustapha, Ji’Ayir Brown, Marques Sigle
Cut (practice squad eligible): Patrick McMorris, Jalen Stroman, Derrick Canteen, Darrick Forrest

There’s perpetual chatter about the 49ers’ recent shortcomings at safety. But keep this in mind: Safety production is strongly correlated with a team’s pass rush, and the 49ers finished with a league-low 20 sacks in 2025. There’s a reason they’ve redone nearly all of their D-line over the past 14 months.

Missed tackles have been an issue for safeties outside of Sigle (who, in turn, suffered through major issues in coverage), but they should see better opportunities to succeed in 2026. And perhaps an in-season trade for a former Morris safety might be in the cards. Jessie Bates III, anyone?

The 49ers, with the NFL’s most salary-cap space and an extra 2027 pick added through their flurry of trades in the draft, have positioned themselves to make a move like that.

Specialists (3)

On the 53: LS Jon Weeks, P Corliss Waitman, K Eddy Piñeiro
Cut (practice squad eligible): P Jack Bouwmeester

The punting competition is between the veteran lefty, Waitman, and rookie righty Bouwmeester. Special teams coordinator Brant Boyer likes both. We’ll see who prevails in the coming months.

Both punters will help the 49ers sort out their returner competition, which seems wide open following Skyy Moore’s departure in free agency. Cowing and Watkins might emerge as favorites there, but there’s a long way to go.

The 49ers are just happy they no longer have a question at kicker entering this season.