The 49ers on Tuesday released an unofficial depth chart ahead of their preseason opener vs. the Raiders in Las Vegas.
It’s important to note up top that this depth chart is compiled by the 49ers communications staff. This isn’t something the coaches put together for the club to release. It is an unofficial look at what the team’s depth chart might look like.
Let’s take it at face value though and dig in to find the most interesting nugget from each position:
Quarterback
Brock Purdy
Trey Lance or Sam Darnold
Brandon Allen
This is good work by the 49ers to not list one of Lance or Darnold as the second string. Instead they listed both, which is a good indicator for where things stand in the backup QB battle heading into the preseason opener. Don’t expect this to change.
Running back
Christian McCaffrey
Elijah Mitchell
Tyrion Davis-Price / Jordan Mason
Jeremy McNichols / Khalan Laborn
The only real intrigue at running back is whether Mitchell holds onto that RB2 spot after training camp. Davis-Price and Mason have both put together strong performances while Mitchell is sidelined by a hip injury. Come the preseason opener vs. the Raiders expect plenty of McNichols and Laborn.
Fullback
Kyle Juszczyk
Jack Colletto
Nothing super notable here. Colletto, an undrafted rookie, is ultimately vying for a practice squad job with the NFL’s best fullback in front of him.
Wide receiver
Brandon Aiyuk / Deebo Samuel
Ray-Ray McCloud / Jauan Jennings
Danny Gray / Chris Conley
Ronnie Bell / Willie Snead
Dazz Newsome / Tay Martin
Isaiah Winstead
The battle for the fifth (and possibly sixth) wide receiver spots could be pretty fierce down the stretch with special teams contributions coming into play in a big way. There’s nothing that really stands out on the depth chart except that Bell, a rookie seventh-round pick, is technically behind the veteran Conley. That’s something that could change quickly in coaches minds if it hasn’t already.
Tight end
George Kittle
Charlie Woerner
Ross Dwelley / Cameron Latu
Troy Fumagalli / Brayden Willis
It wouldn’t be a huge shock if Dwelley makes the roster over one of the rookies since he knows the offense so well. Latu and Willis have both had up-and-down camps per reports from the 49ers practice facility, and consistency is what will ultimately matter come cut day. Willis is likely only listed behind Latu because he went four rounds later in the draft.
Left tackle
Trent Williams
Jaylon Moore
Ilm Manning
Moore is likely on track to be the swing tackle, although while he’s been out with an injury it’s been Leroy Watson IV getting the LT snaps. Manning played tackle in college, but size-wise projected more as an interior player in the NFL. That may be a move the 49ers try and make if the keep him on the practice squad.
Left guard
Aaron Banks
Nick Zakelj
Jason Poe
This tracks with how things have gone in camp while Banks was out with a concussion. Zakelj and Poe rotated in with the first-team offensive line in his place. The former has better size which may give him an upper hand in the battle for a roster spot with Poe.
Center
Jake Brendel
Keith Ismael
Corey Luciano
Chances are Ismael and Luciano aren’t the first two in line for center snaps if Brendel goes down. The team would probably turn to one of Jon Feliciano or Zakelj unless Ismael puts together a great preseason and forces the issue at C.
Right guard
Spencer Burford
Jon Feliciano
Joey Fisher
Feliciano is probably the frontrunner to be the first interior lineman off the bench. The fact he and Zakelj are both listed as second-string players could be an indicator that they have an inside track to those all-important reserve interior OL jobs.
Right tackle
Colton McKivitz
Matt Pryor
Leroy Watson IV
Alfredo Gutierrez
There might ultimately wind up being a battle between Pryor and Watson for a roster spot. Watson has a pretty steep hill to climb still, but he’s in a better place than being buried as the third-string RT on the depth chart.
Defensive end
Drake Jackson / Clelin Ferrell
Alex Barrett / Kerry Hyder Jr.
Austin Bryant / Robert Beal Jr.
Daelin Hayes / Taco Charlton
This is the first real head-scratcher. Barrett is listed as a second-string DE and he’s unlikely to make the final roster. Hyder could conceivably land a backup gig, but Bryant and Charlton have both flashed at various points in camp. Ultimately with Nick Bosa still on the reseve/did not report list the DE depth is going to be a little bit out of whack.
Defensive tackle
Arik Armstead / Javon Hargrave
Kevin Givens / Javon Kinlaw
T.Y. McGill / Marlon Davidson
Kalia Davis / Spencer Waege
Position battles could develop here depending on how many DTs the 49ers keep. It appears the top four on this depth chart are locks to make the roster. If they keep a fifth it’ll come down to McGill, Davidson, Davis and the undrafted rookie Waege. McGill probably has the inside track there, though Davis may be higher on the depth chart than this indicates.
Sam LB
Oren Burks
Curtis Robinson
Kyahva Tezino
Burks gets the first nod from the comms staff as the starting Sam LB. That’s a competition though that also involves four other players and none of them are Robinson or Tezino. LBs will be fun to watch in the preseason with so much at stake.
Mike LB
Fred Warner
Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles
Jalen Graham
Flannigan-Fowles and Graham should both be among the players in the mix for the starting Sam job. In reality Dre Greenlaw would likely move to the Mike if Warner is out. Graham being placed last in this group could ultimately be because he’s a rookie and not because of where he actually stands in the LB pecking order.
Will LB
Dre Greenlaw
Marcelino McCrary-Ball
Dee Winters
Mark McCrary-Ball and Winters down as potential Sam LBs as well. This is probably the correct Will order though considering McCrary-Ball has seen some first-team reps and Winters, like Graham, is still just a rookie.
Cornerback
Charvarius Ward / Deommodore Lenoir
Ambry Thomas / Samuel Womack III
D’Shawn Jamison / Tre Swilling
Anthony Averett
There’s a likely battle coming between Thomas, Womack and Jamison for a roster spot at CB. Jamison, an undrafted rookie from Texas has been making waves in camp though and may actually be ahead of at least one of those two when the preseason kicks off.
Nickel cornerback
Isaiah Oliver
AJ Parker
Qwuantrezz Knight
Chances are Parker and Knight are on the outside looking in at roster spots. A real depth chart here probably has Womack, Jamison or Lenoir as the top reserve in the slot.
Free safety
Tashaun Gipson
Ji’Ayir Brown
Tayler Hawkins
The only thing that really jumps out here is that Brown could wind up surpassing Gipson on the depth chart if he plays well in the preseason where his game may translate more than it does in practice.
Strong safety
Talanoa Hufanga
George Odum
Myles Hartsfield
It looked like when Hartsfield signed that he might push for playing time in Steve Wilks’ defense after playing under Wilks last year in Carolina. Now he’s buried as the No. 3 strong safety on the depth chart. His versatility is his calling card, but if he’s truly viewed as the No. 3 SS he could be facing a steep uphill climb to a roster spot.
Specialists
K Jake Moody or Zane Gonzalez
P Mitch Wishnowsky
LS Taybor Pepper
There’s not actually a competition between Moody and Gonzalez in a way that the third-round pick’s roster spot is in danger. Respect to the 49ers for not listing Gonzalez as a backup kicker though.
Returners
Ray-Ray McCloud III
Willie Snead IV
Ronnie Bell
D’Shawn Jamison
This is intriguing because the 49ers are listing a pair of rookies who are on the roster bubble behind Snead in the kickoff and punt return depth charts. That would seem to indicate if Snead doesn’t make the final roster that one of Bell or Jamison will. Special teams plays a huge role in how teams fill out the back end of their rosters so it’ll be worth keeping track of who’s returning kicks in the preseason.
