Predicting the 49ers’ 53-man roster

In this 53-man roster series, we will try to predict which players will make every team’s final squad. Next up, the San Francisco 49ers.

There were high expectations in San Francisco until Jimmy Garoppolo went down with an ACL injury early in the 2018 season. While there were some bright spots, the 49ers struggled through the rest of the year finishing with a 4-12 record.

This offseason brought a lot of change with multiple talented players being added through the draft, free agency, and trades. There is some questionable depth at multiple positions on the roster, but if they stay relatively healthy the 49ers are capable of pushing for a playoff spot in 2019.

Quarterbacks

• Jimmy Garoppolo
• Nick Mullens

Garoppolo was labeled as the next great 49ers quarterback after his first 6 games in San Francisco. His injury last year put a damper on those expectations, but if he can return to playing at that level he can lead this team back to the playoffs. Mullens has separated himself as the primary backup. While Head Coach Kyle Shanahan has stated he would like to keep 3 quarterbacks on the roster with CJ Beathard, it seems unlikely that will happen after multiple injuries this preseason especially in the secondary.

Player to watch: CJ Beathard