Now that we’ve had a day or so to process the San Francisco 49ers’ initial 53-man roster and digest the moves that were made, it’s time to evaluate how deep this roster is.
Is this a one-and-done playoff team? Can they win the division? Or are we talking about a deep playoff run? Let’s grade the current iteration of the 49ers.
Quarterbacks (3)
Starter: Brock Purdy
Backups: Mac Jones, Kurtis Rourke
This is the best quarterback room the 49ers have had under Kyle Shanahan. Brock Purdy is the best starter. Mac Jones is the best backup
(it was a different Sam Darnold then. And Kurtis Rourke is rookie-year Purdy. The team knowing Rourke wasn’t worth losing on waivers shows foresight into what he means to this team down the line.
My not-so-bold prediction is that Purdy plays every game and has a career year. He’ll be playing with the best supporting cast of his life. The wide receivers give Purdy more margin for error than he’s ever had.
Plus, quietly, it’s legs should win at least a series-a-game for the offense. Maybe it’s something as simple as escaping a sack and living to fight another down. It very well could mean scrambling for a first down when nothing is there. But I believe the QB tiers from this past offseason will look foolish by season’s end.
Grade: A
Running backs (4)
Starters: Christian McCaffrey, Kyle Juszczyk
Backups: Kaelon Black, Jordan James
Another strong group for the Niners. Less might be more with Christian McCaffrey early on in the season as the team preserves him for a second-half run. I don’t see a point in giving McCaffrey 30 touches a game in September and October — especially when there are viable options behind him.
Reminiscent of 2023, not the version of McCaffrey, but the depth of the running back room. Elijah Mitchell had 75 carries that season. Jordan James had 40 and averaged 5.2 yards per carry. If Kaelon Black and Jordan James can assume that kind of volume, the running game will be potent.
Both backups ran well in the preseason. They were decisive, and it led to first downs. Each one of them being able to contribute in the passing game, whether it’s in pass protection or as a receiver, makes it a complete unit.
Black and James’ youth will mean inevitable mistakes, but it’s something they’ll need to play through.
Grade: A-
Wide receivers (6)
Starters: Mike Evans, De’Zhaun Stribling, Deebo Samuel, Demarcus Robinson
Backups: Jordan Watkins, Jacob Cowing
The 49ers are expecting Mike Evans back at practice next week as he deals with an adductor injury.
The reason it’s easy to be optimistic in the ground game is that safeties can’t hover around the line of scrimmage knowing Evans is lurking on the perimeter. Another reason to be optimistic about the rushing attack is that Evans and Stribling are now the primary blockers.
Aaron Donald is objectively one of the best defensive players of this generation. He has not played since 2023. He is 35. Yet, you’d think he’s coming off an All-Pro season the way he’s being discussed.
Evans is objectively one of the best wide receivers of this generation. He’s a season removed from missing eight games. Evans is 33. For the previous nine years, 1,000-yard seasons were the norm.
Brock is going to have his best season because of Evans. The rushing attack will be at its best because of Evans. Every other receiver on the roster will reap the rewards of Evans.
Is there a worry that he’ll miss time? Of course. But with the 49ers’ maintenance plan of not having Evans practice three days in a row, that should aid in keeping Evans available for game days.
Stribling gives Purdy his first contested-catch receiver, aside from Evans. While you may think Jauan Jennings was in a similar mode, he was below 50% last season in contested situations. Stribling’s speed was already on full display in the preseason.
Deebo will be a jack-of-all-trades. I expect him to live underneath for free access yards. He might be at his best coming out of the backfield as a pass catcher.
I saw the results of Evans firsthand and how Robinson got open because of it. I suspect he’ll be
Cowing will be the wild card. Best case, Cowing ends up in a Travis Benjamin-esque role from when Shanahan was with the Browns a decade ago. Cowing won’t be a 1,000-yard receiver, but the splash plays will keep the defense honest and the running back will be the beneficiary.
Evans is carrying this grade. We live in a world of, “what have you done for me lately?” We forget who Evans is, the situation he’s in, and how athletes generally bounce back and go on a tear when they believe everyone doubts them.
Grade: B+
Tight ends (4)
Starter: George Kittle
Backups: Luke Farrell, Jake Tonges, Brayden Willis
Willis making the roster felt like a hedge in case Kittle can’t play right away. Still, keeping a seventh-rounder who has been on and off the roster felt like a risk you didn’t need to take. That’s not to take away from what Willis did in the preseason, but it felt like he would’ve cleared waivers.
It’ll be fascinating to see Kittle’s usage coming off an Achilles injury. We know blocking won’t be an issue. But will he be used down the field? Will it matter? Against the Rams linebackers, probably not. Kittle will be 1-on-1 in almost every scenario this season — another way the offense will enjoy the fruits of Evans.
It’ll still be a wait-and-see with Farrell. Players tend to improve in Year 2 of Shanahan’s offense. In Farrell’s case, there’s only one direction to go.
Tonges is closer to good than average as a receiver, but it’s clear the team doesn’t want him to block. Ideally, we see Tonges more as a receiver, but I’m not holding my breath.
Kittle turns 33 in August and is coming off another serious injury. As much as I’d like to give an all-world player the benefit of the doubt, I have to be realistic with him and this group’s expectations.
Grade: C+
Offensive line (9)
Starters: Trent Williams, Carver Willis**, Jake Brendel, Dominick Puni, Colton McKivitz
Backups: Vederian Lowe, Enrique Cruz, Connor Colby, Jarrett Patterson
The rookie Willis gets the nod, unless Patterson comes in and steals the show.
According to Brandon Thorn’s almanac, the 49ers have the sixth-most experienced unit, with the 11th-most talented. They’re on the older side, ranking 24th—which is saying something, considering a rookie and a third-year pro are starting.
He had a fun nugget: The 49ers’ projected line is 33 combined years older than the Dolphins’, while the tackles are the third-lightest starting duo in the league.
Willis aside, the continuity is where you want it. We’ll find out if the production follows.
Guess who makes the offensive line better? Mike Evans. The blocking shouldn’t be as congested as it was a season ago with a legitimate WR1 who can win outside of the numbers.
Quantifying offensive linemen on a down-to-down basis is one of the most difficult things to do in football. They could do their jobs to perfection, but if the quarterback doesn’t get rid of the ball in time, or the running back doesn’t go where he’s supposed to, the line gets assigned the blame.
For the longest time, Kyle Shanahan’s offensive lines have been known as the sum being greater than the parts. Despite constant fan blame, I thought the line turned a corner last season. With a better supporting cast, this group will be viewed much more positively this season.
Because no one dominates besides Williams, individual matchups are the one area where the line can be susceptible. I mean something along the lines of Myles Garrett versus Colton McKivitz, or Josh Sweat against Carver Willis — the extreme mismatches. As a unit, there are few busted assignments.
Grade: B-
Edge rushers (4)
Starters: Nick Bosa, Sam Okuayinonu
Backups: Romello Height, Keion White
This group, and perhaps the defense, goes as Bosa does. Calling the drop-off from Bosa to the next edge rusher on the roster considerable is an undersell.
Bosa is the definition of a Tier 1 player. The other three edge rushers on the roster will find notice by how much room they have to operate.
Bosa is the kind of player to pull the weight of a defensive line and raise the talent level around him. That’s what the 49ers are banking on this year.
Sam Okuayinonu is one of my favorite players to watch on the defense. Raheem Morris said Okuayinonu has a “pitbull mentality.” That’s an apt description for a player who will make a difference against the run.
Romello Height was a third-round pick. He’s missed the past couple of weeks with an ankle injury. Expecting a rookie to make an impact is a big ask. Expectations for Height should be conservative in Year 1.
Keion White, a former second-round pick, was traded for a sixth-rounder in the 2026 NFL Draft. Most of White’s production in the league came when he kicked inside as a pass rusher. We didn’t see that in the second half as much last year because the Niners didn’t have any bodies on the edge.
There will be zero doubting that Bosa will look like himself on my end. I consider Sam O an above-average run defender. But the run defense and pass rush projection from everybody else leaves you wanting more.
This group will get an extreme makeover when the 49ers trade for Jared Verse at the trade deadline.
Grade: C+
Defensive tackles (5)
Starters: Osa Odighizuwa, Alfred Collins
Backups: CJ West, Gracen Halton, James Thompson Jr.
Odighizuwa is a monumental upgrade from any defensive tackle that’s been on the roster in the past couple of seasons. The Niners need him to be if the defense is to reach its potential this year.
There’s not much, if any, proof that the other four can contribute at the pro level. You could argue the rookies from ‘26 were more impressive in August than the rookies from ‘25.
In a dream world where everything is sunshine and rainbows, Collins’ preseason struggles are chalked up to rust, and he looks like a top-50 pick. West is stalwart and a mainstay because of what he does against the run. And Halton is everything the 49ers hoped he was as an interior disruptor. Anything from Thompson Jr. in 2026 is a luxury.
We know the NFL isn’t a sunshine and rainbows kind of league. The Niners have flexibility after Odighizuwa, but all three players are one-dimensional. It’s a thin group whose second-best pass rusher is a Day 3 pick and most reliable player was a cast-off.
Grade: C-
Linebackers (6)
Starters: Fred Warner, Dre Greenlaw, Jaden Dugger*
Backups: Tatum Bethune, Garret Wallow, Luke Gifford
There isn’t a better linebacker in the NFL than Fred Warner, and there hasn’t been this decade. On the field, Warner lets everyone else cover less ground. I’ll be curious to see how Morris finds ways to funnel throws in Warner’s direction.
Dre Greenlaw will be on a maintenance plan throughout the season to ensure he’s healthy in the playoffs—the injection of energy whenever Greenlaw’s on the field is palpable. The defense will feed off that once again.
Patience will be a theme with Dugger. He’ll make a dozen splash plays. He’ll have another 12 that’ll leave you scratching your head. It’ll be up to the defense to weather the storm until Dugger rounds into a consistent player. It’ll also be up to his veterans to make sure the rookie has his assignment and alignment down pat. Physical mistakes are bound to happen. The goal is to limit the mental mistakes.
The other three will have a home on special teams.
There are reservations about Greenlaw in coverage and his health, as well as Dugger and the ebbs and flows that come with a rookie.
Grade: B-
Cornerbacks (5)
Starters: Renardo Green, Deommodore Lenoir, Upton Stout
Backups: Jack Jones, Ephesians Prysock
We asked if you felt cornerback was among the deepest positions on the roster. That was a surprise to me. The team is a Renardo Green injury away from starting Jack “jump a route” Jones.
At their best, Green and Lenoir look like a high-end CB2. In fairness, that’s been without a semblance of a pass rush. The Niners are hoping that changes this season. You still have to cover on third down, and that was an issue last season, even when the quarterback didn’t have five seconds to throw.
This group’s variance makes them the most unpredictable on the team. We need to see better coverage skills from Upton Stout in Year 2. And if Morris is going to run more man-to-man concepts, the perimeter cornerbacks will need to do a better job of holding their own.
Grade: C
Safeties (5)
Starters: Ji’Ayir Brown, Marques Sigle*
Backups: Malik Mustapha, Ashtyn Davis, Siran Neal
Safety has been the biggest question mark on the roster heading into the season just about every year under this regime. The front office hasn’t invested in this group, and the lack of results speaks for itself.
There might be an ongoing competition or rotation into the season, given how much time Mustapha missed. He’s the best player listed, but Mustapha shouldn’t be gifted a starting job, either.
Sigle looked shaky in limited action in the preseason. He was a Day 3 pick, and looks like one. Sigle is the kind of player who will need to take his lumps as he plays. Unfortunately, the 49ers can’t afford that for another season.
Brown shouldn’t be exploited the way he was a year ago, thanks to Warner taking away a large chunk of the field. But there will come a time — probably 5 times — over the course of a game where Brown will have to make a play in coverage or a tackle in the open field.
The best friend this season for the safeties will be a potent pass rush after the run defense forces third and long. Outside of that, they’ve given us little reason to have confidence in them when you factor in everything, including injuries.
Grade: D+
