An early look at how the Niners’ roster is taking shape
Free agency and the NFL Draft are behind us. Now, we can look back at how the 2025 San Francisco 49ers roster is shaping up. We’ll start today with offense before moving to the other two phases of the game. From there, we’ll make our first 53-man roster projection.
Quarterback
QB1 Brock Purdy
QB2 Mac Jones
QB3 Kurtis Rourke
QB4 Tanner Mordecai
For a few months, we’ve been getting the same daily updates regarding Purdy’s contract. We know the 49ers are committed to Purdy. However, his contract structure will tell us how much and for how long.
If Purdy gets banged up again for a game or two, Mac Jones is insurance. Rourke will likely replace Jones as Brock’s backup two years from now, saving the team a few million.
Running back
RB1 Christian McCaffrey
RB2 Isaac Guerendo
RB3 Jordan James
RB4 Patrick Taylor Jr.
RB5 Israel Abanikanda
RB6 Corey Kiner
Will McCaffrey stay healthy in 2025? The drop-off from him to Jordan Mason was significant in an explosive play sense but not as much on a down-to-down basis. Guerendo showed signs of the same big-play ability McCaffrey brought to the offense the previous two seasons but did not have the same consistency.
Rookie Jordan James is closer to Mason, where San Francisco would be willing to sacrifice inefficiency and leave yards on the field for the four, five, and six-yard runs that might turn into 11 and 12-yard gains thanks to James forcing a missed tackle.
Wide receiver
X – Brandon Aiyuk, Demarcus Robinson, Russell Gage Jr., Isaiah Hodgins, Isaiah Neyor
Z – Ricky Pearsall, Jordan Watkins, Terique Owens, Junior Bergen
F – Jauan Jennings, Jacob Cowing, Trent Taylor
Aiyuk was beginning to come into his own last season after the first month looked like his preseason. But they could not replace the receiver who went over 1,000 yards in each of the previous two seasons and is one of the seven best players at his position. Aiyuk is the engine of the 49ers’ passing game.
Robinson will effectively replace Aiyuk, but the offense needs to find somebody who can win outside the numbers. Could that be Pearsall? It’s not Jennings’s game, although he’s coming off a career year.
Watkins and Cowing are this group’s wild cards. Their speed will allow Purdy to take shots down the field and keep the defense honest.
Tight end
TE1 George Kittle
TE2 Kyle Juszczyk
TE3 Luke Farrell
TE4 Ross Dwelley
TE5 Brayden Willis
TE6 Jake Tonges
TE7 Mason Pline
Juszczyk’s snap counts in recent seasons have shaded more toward being a tight end than a fullback. The offense has evolved and is slowly but surely leaning toward more 12 personnel than 21. It also explains why the Niners didn’t draft a tight end.
Farrell and Dwelley will primarily do their work on special teams. Farrell is a solid run-blocker with a bigger frame than Juszczyk, so it would not be surprising to see him earn playing time.
Offensive tackle
Trent Williams
D.J. Humphries
Colton McKivitz
Spencer Burford
Austen Pleasants
Isaac Alarcon
Sebastian Gutierrez
Jalen McKenzie
Burford has technically never played tackle, but this could be the year he transitions. There’s one year remaining on Burford and McKivitz’s contract, so we could be talking about who is at right tackle for the Niners next season.
Humphries figures to fill in for Williams if he misses time. Will the team give Humphries an opportunity to beat out McKivitz? It’s been nearly a decade since Humphries played on the right side.
Interior offensive line
Ben Bartch
Jake Brendel
Dominick Puni
Matt Hennessy
Nick Zakelj
Connor Colby
Drake Nugent
Drew Moss
Zack Johnson
The 49ers are putting a lot of faith in their scheme and coaching by letting Aaron Banks walk and feeling comfortable enough to replace him with a player who didn’t play more than a game at left guard last season.
Hennessy is a sneaky good addition and my pick to start at left guard.
Colby was drafted, but I like Moss more and think he has a better chance of making the roster than names like Zakelj and Nugent.