Barring a post-June 1 A.J. Brown to the AFC East kind of move, the San Francisco 49ers roster heading into the summer is set. Today, we’ll go through the Niners’ roster, position by position, and identify the biggest question as OTAs kick off in a week.
Let’s get right into it.
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Quarterbacks
The lingering Mac Jones decision
If we could get Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch under truth serum, I’d love to know what their honest thoughts about Mac Jones are. This team values him more than the rest of the NFL.
You would think if the Niners could have gotten a third-round pick for a player —and I cannot emphasize this next part enough — who should not play another meaningful snap for them again, then they would have gladly taken the draft pick.
Are the fears about Brock Purdy getting injured again that loud inside the building, where Jones is the ultimate peace of mind player on the roster? Is Kurtis Rourke that far behind Jones?
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The 49ers turned a third-rounder into Osa Odighizuwa. They could’ve flipped Jones into a potential starter or contributor on either side of the ball.
Running backs
Can one of the young backs produce like Elijah Mitchell or be a Jordan Mason replica?
He appeared in only a handful of games in 2022, but Elijah Mitchell averaged 6.2 yards per carry on 45 carries. He ran much harder than his size would indicate he would, which is likely why Mitchell’s body didn’t hold up.
Jordan Mason was equally as effective in 2022 and 2023. He averaged six yards per carry on 43 attempts in 2022 and 5.2 yards per carry on 40 attempts in 2023. The change of pace both backs brought to supplement Christian McCaffrey was a big reason why the 49ers’ running game was at the top of the league those years. McCaffrey was the home run hitter, but Mitchell and Mason were getting on base consistently with the occasional double in the gap.
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Kaelon Black and Jordan James will be called upon at some point in 2026. How early and often depends on McCaffrey’s help. If they can give the offense 80% of what Mitchell and Mason did, the 49ers’ rushing attack will bounce back in a big way this season.
Pass catchers
How will the hierarchy look after Mike Evans?
The 49ers’ offense peaked when they established Brandon Aiyuk as their WR1. That’s Mike Evans in 2026. But how will the hierarchy look after the future Hall of Famer? Ricky Pearsall and De’Zhaun Stribling were selected in areas where you’d think they have WR1 upside.
We can’t forget about McCaffrey and George Kittle and what they mean and have meant to the passing game. Christian Kirk feels like insurance for Pearsall more than anything else. If that’s the case, Pearsall has the most experience, while Stribling would fall into more of a Jauan Jennings role.
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That feels like we’re selling Stribling short. Outside of 2024, Jennings was never the focal point of the offense. Deebo Samuel was. Based on how they play, albeit with much different body types and skill sets, Stribling is closer to Deebo than Ricky is. Does that make him WR2?
Offensive line
Will the 49ers roll with a rookie?
The 49ers rolled with rookie Connor Colby last season from Week 2 through Week 7. Colby looked like a player drafted with the 33rd pick in the 7th round. When you have a glaring weak spot, teams can tee off.
Carver Willis was selected in the fourth round, but he’s still a Day 3 pick. The 49ers are two years removed from striking gold in the third round with Dominick Puni. Could lightning strike twice again with Willis?
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We’ll see what Bret Toth and Robert Jones have to say about that. It wasn’t supposed to be Colby starting all those games. That spot was earned by Ben Bartch. But Bartch’s injury woes carried into 2025, opening the door for Colby and others.
Jones has the experience. Toth played in spot duty last season. They will have something to say about Willis starting. The 49ers love their veterans. Will that change, and will Willis have the luxury of playing next to Trent Williams?
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