SANTA CLARA — First impressions of the 49ers’ initial 53-man roster? If you can overlook the lingering contract matters with Brandon Aiyuk and Trent Williams, this is another Super Bowl-caliber lineup.
Among those purged is running back Elijah Mitchell, who went on Injured Reserve (hamstring) after getting usurped in camp by Jordan Mason as Christian McCaffrey’s top backup.
Being a draft pick didn’t guarantee job security, as was the case with third-round choices in tight end Cam Latu (2023) and wide receiver Danny Gray (2022). Cornerback Ambry Thomas (2021 third round) did make the roster, although he could move onto Injured Reserve because of his fractured forearm in the preseason opener.
Overall, the 49ers retained 25 players on offense, 25 on defense, plus the same three specialists as last season’s NFC Championship club.
Oddities that could be temporary roster notes:
* Keeping just two tight ends, all due respect to Jake Tonges working his way to back up George Kittle. Eric Saubert and Logan Thomas are veterans who can re-sign at their discretion, so perhaps a wink-wink agreement is in place with one or both in this early roster phase.
* Neither guard Jon Feliciano (knee) nor cornerback Ambry Thomas (forearm) went on Injured Reserve despite surgeries, although such a transaction could be forthcoming.
* Mitchell’s Injured Reserve designation was a surprise only in that he had a carry early in Monday’s practice. But he’d been battling a hamstring issue in preceding weeks, plus knee injuries the previous two seasons.
* Defensive end Sam Okuayinonu survived cuts in the wake of Friday’s knee injuries to Leonard Floyd and Yetur Gross-Matos, the latter of whom has the more serious issue that could sideline him the next week or more.
Here is how the 49ers reached the NFL’s 53-man roster limit Tuesday, with 17 spots to fill on the practice squad over the next couple of days:
QUARTERBACKS (3)
On the 53: Brock Purdy, Brandon Allen, Josh Dobbs
Waived: Tanner Mordecai
Analysis: Allen and Dobbs make the cut as Purdy’s backup, though Kyle Shanahan’s order of preference remains unknown. Mordecai showed impressive arm strength as an undrafted rookie who, at age 24, is seven weeks older than Purdy.
RUNNING BACK (5)
On the 53: Christian McCaffrey, Kyle Juszczyk, Jordan Mason, Isaac Guerendo, Patrick Taylor Jr.
Released: Matt Breida, Ke’Shawn Vaughn
Waived: Cody Schrader
Injured Reserve: Elijah Mitchell
Analysis: McCaffrey has worked on his own the past three weeks since a calf strain. He’s looking healthy, but Mitchell apparently was not and got placed on Injured Reserve after battling a hamstring strain the past month and knee issues in recent years. Mason took charge the past month as the top option behind McCaffrey. Guerendo was a fourth-round pick who shined in his preseason debut Friday. Taylor made the cut even though a foot issue limited him in camp.
WIDE RECEIVER (7)
On the 53: Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel, Jauan Jennings, Ricky Pearsall, Jacob Cowing, Chris Conley, Ronnie Bell
Released: Trent Taylor, Robbie Chosen
Waived: Danny Gray, Tay Martin, Jontre Kirkland
Analysis: Aiyuk makes the 49ers’ initial 53-man roster — not the Steelers’, the Commanders’, the Browns’, etc. — but that shouldn’t signal that a long-sought contract extension is done. With Pearsall hindered by a history of shoulder issues, the 49ers kept a whopping seven wide receivers. Chris Conley can play Aiyuk’s split-end spot while also excelling on special teams. Bell figured to be on the roster bubble, and he survived an exhaustive workload Monday to play another day with the 49ers. The 49ers kept trying to tap into Gray’s speed and usually sent the 2022 third-rounder deep once a practice with little success, which wasn’t surprising as he made just one catch in 13 career games.
TIGHT END (2)
On the 53: George Kittle, Jake Tonges
Released: Eric Saubert, Logan Thomas
Waived: Brayden Willis, Cam Latu, Mason Pline
Analysis: Odds are the 49ers will re-sign Saubert, Thomas and/or Willis after any injury-related transactions Wednesday. Congratulations to Tonges, a Los Gatos High and Cal product who learned the 49ers’ system last year on the practice squad and made impressive, hard-working strides throughout camp; he played four games in 2022 with the Bears. Willis took first-team reps in spring workouts in place of Kittle (core-muscle rehab), and Willis struggled at blocking but still could develop into a quality player. Latu, who missed his rookie year with a knee injury, often seemed overwhelmed by assignments with slight improvement as a pass catcher.
OFFENSIVE LINE (8)
On the 53: LT Jaylon Moore, LG Aaron Banks, C Jake Brendel, RG Dominick Puni, RT Colton McKivitz, G/C Nick Zakelj, G Spencer Burford, G/C Jon Feliciano
Released: T Chris Hubbard, T Brandon Parker, G/C Ben Bartch,
Waived: C Drake Nugent, G/T Sebastian Gutierrez, T Isaac Alarcon (practice squad exemption), G Lewis Kidd, OL Jarrett Kingston
Analysis: Left tackle Trent Williams is on the Reserve/Did Not Report list, so he does not count toward the roster limit while awaiting a top-of-the-market contract restructuring. Feliciano figured to go on Injured Reserve because of recent knee surgery, and that still could happen. Hubbard and Parker worked as the second-string tackles, so perhaps their release is a sign the 49ers expect Williams by Week 1.
DEFENSIVE LINE (9)
On the 53: Nick Bosa, Leonard Floyd, Maliek Collins, Javon Hargrave, Yetur Gross-Matos, Jordan Elliott, Kevin Givens, Robert Beal Jr., Sam Okuayinonu
Released: T.Y. McGill, Nick Williams
Waived: Alex Barrett, Shakel Brown, Evan Anderson, Jonathan Garvin
Injured Reserve: Drake Jackson, Kalia Davis (designated for return)
Analysis: Friday’s knee injuries to Floyd and Gross-Matos weren’t serious enough to warrant an Injured Reserve designation, but with Gross-Matos “week to week,” the 49ers kept an extra defensive end in Okuayinonu. The 49ers are sure to scour the wire for veteran castoffs, more so than file waiver claims at No. 31 in the order.
LINEBACKERS (6)
On the 53:, Fred Warner, De’Vondre Campbell, Dee Winters, Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles, Curtis Robinson, Tatum Bethune
Waived: Jalen Graham
Physically Unable to Perform List: Dre Greenlaw
Analysis: This was a bit of an upset to see Graham usurped by Bethune, a swapping of seventh-round picks from the 2023 and ’24 drafts, respectively. As deep as the 49ers seem, former strong-side starter Oren Burks became available Tuesday when the Eagles released him. Greenlaw is out at least the first four games, and it might be the first two months or longer as he recovers from his Achilles tear in the Super Bowl.
CORNERBACKS (6)
On the 53: Charvarius Ward, Deommodore Lenoir, Renardo Green, Isaac Yiadom, Darrell Luter Jr., Ambry Thomas
Released: Rock Ya-Sin
Waived: Chase Lucas, Sam Womack III
Analysis: Thomas’ forearm fracture in the preseason opener figured to shift him onto Injured Reserve (and still could). Womack (2022 fifth-round) emerged as a special-teams stud but a liability at cornerback. Despite recent success, Ya-Sin was released and could be a practice-squad target.
SAFETY (4)
On the 53: Talanoa Hufanga, Ji’Ayir Brown, George Odum, Malik Mustapha
Released: Tracy Walker III
Waived: Jaylen Mahoney
Analysis: Hufanga’s activation off the Physically Unable to Perform List comes as a mild surprise because he hasn’t practiced yet, but he would have been banned the first four games if he remained on PUP. This is a positive-mojo move.
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SPECIALISTS (3)
On the 53: K Jake Moody, P Mitch Wishnowsky, LS Taybor Pepper
Waived: P Pressley Harvin III
Analysis: Harvin impressed in preseason work as Wishnowsky dealt with a knee issue that wasn’t serious enough to keep Harvin as regular-season insurance. Moody, Brown, Puni and Fred Warner are the 49ers’ only third-round draft picks out of 13 still on the roster since 2017.
