The San Francisco 49ers have until Sunday at 3:00pm Pacific Time to decide on their cuts to bring their roster to the maximum 53 players.
Getting the 90-player roster down to 53 isn't going to be easy, but there are a handful of locks that the coaching staff won't have to think much about before sending them through to the initial roster. We had a whopping 39 locks for this year's 49ers roster, although some of those locks are also candidates to go on IR either at final cuts or right after final cuts. We still counted the injured players as locks for the purposes of our list.
Here are the 39 players who should be locks to make the 49ers' 53-man roster.
Quarterback (2)
- Brock Purdy
- Mac Jones
There's just enough of a question surrounding QB Kurtis Rourke to leave him off the locks list.
Had he gotten a fully healthy preseason he's probably here with Purdy and Jones. The backup QB spot is just too valuable for the 49ers and Rourke looks the part of at least a quality backup.
Running back (3)
- Christian McCaffrey
- Jordan James
- Kaelon Black
This is the trio we expect to make the roster, and they're the only locks at running back. It's hard to find a definitive fourth option between players like Khalil Herbert and Sincere McCormick, although we can't fully rule out one of them making it as a special teams contributor. Their more likely routes to the roster come via the practice squad.
Fullback (1)
- Kyle Juszczyk
It would be a pretty dramatic shift in offensive philosophy four days before the season opener if the 49ers decided to part ways with Juszczyk.
Wide receiver (4)
- Mike Evans
- Deebo Samuel
- De'Zhaun Stribling
- Demarcus Robinson
Robinson put together a really nice training camp and his absence from the preseason finale is a good sign that his roster spot is sewn up. This quartet features the top four WR options for San Francisco. The real question is how players like Christian Kirk, Jordan Watkins and Jacob Cowing fit in.
Tight end (3)
- George Kittle
- Jake Tonges
- Luke Farrell
Farrell had a nice camp and Tonges asserted himself as the team's No. 2 pass catching TE last season. A step forward from the players behind Kittle would be a nice wrinkle for the 49ers' offense. They may keep a fourth player here, but we're only locking in these three.
Offensive line (5)
- Trent Williams
- Colton McKivitz
- Jake Brendel
- Dominick Puni
- Carver Willis
Honestly, who knows here. The four surefire starters are in and Willis, the 2026 fifth-round pick is in. Notably absent here is his fellow member of the 2026 draft class Enrique Cruz. The 49ers may keep him on the 53-man roster to avoid losing him to waivers, but he also didn't play well enough that we're certain the 49ers won't be willing to risk waiving him.
Defensive line (7)
- DE Nick Bosa
- DT Osa Odighizuwa
- DT Alfred Collins
- DT Gracen Halton
- DE Sam Okuayinonu
- DE Keion White
- DE Romello Height
The CJ West absence is glaring, but he was not great in the preseason which adds at least some question as to whether the 49ers will have him on the roster. Collins wasn't great either, but he's a second-round pick who was working back from offseason shoulder surgery. West may be a player the club deems expendable depending on how numbers at other positions shake out. He's close to a lock, as is undrafted rookie James Thompson Jr.
Linebacker (3)
- Fred Warner
- Dre Greenlaw
- Jaden Dugger
The linebacker room is a little strange, so we're only leaving the two veterans and the rookie Dugger on the locks list. There are a bunch of players who could or should make the roster at LB, but deciphering those enough to call them locks is nigh impossible.
Cornerback (4)
- Deommodore Lenoir
- Renardo Green
- Upton Stout
- Ephesians Prysock
Jack Jones is probably a lock after being around the football a ton in training camp and the preseason. There are enough question marks with this position though, including how Darrell Luter Jr. fits in as a special teams contributor. Prysock is also an IR candidate after hurting his shoulder in the preseason finale.
Safety (4)
- Ji'Ayir Brown
- Malik Mustapha
- Marques Sigle
- Siran Neal
Mustapha may be an IR candidate while he deals with a hamstring injury, but the 49ers don't have enough depth at safety to allow him to walk. Neal is also a lock due to his special teams contributions.
Specialists (3)
- LS Jon Weeks
- K Eddy Pineiro
- P Corliss Waitman
There are no competitions here, so this one is easy.
More 49ers: San Francisco 49ers roster cuts: Tracking path to 53 players for 2026
This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: Massive number of 49ers should be locks to make initial 53-man roster
