San Francisco 49ers

Ricky Pearsall

WR

Pearsall is positioned for a significant role after injuries limited him to nine regular-season appearances in 2025. With Jauan Jennings having signed with the Vikings and Brandon Aiyuk seemingly out of the picture, the 25-year-old clearly projects as Brock Purdy's No. 2 wide receiver behind Evans. Christian Kirk is expected to handle slot duties, while rookie second-round pick De'Zhaun Stribling and Demarcus Robinson provide depth, but it's Pearsall and Evans who project to see the field in 21 personnel sets, which the 49ers deployed at a league-high rate in 2025. A healthy season would position Pearsall for the biggest workload of his NFL career.

Mac Jones

QB

The fact that Jones was out there throwing this week suggests that Brock Purdy's top backup should be good to go come training camp. Though there was some speculation this offseason that Jones could be on the move, he'll remain a valuable insurance policy at QB for the 49ers, on the heels of a 2025 regular season in which Purdy missed eight games, all of which Jones started in his place.

Brock Purdy

QB

As the coming campaign approaches, Purdy -- who has had time to move past the shoulder and toe issues he dealt with last season -- is set to work with a WR corps that welcomes a trio of key additions in Mike Evans, Christian Kirk and rookie second-rounder De'Zhaun Stribling. Also in the mix are returnees Ricky Pearsall, Jacob Cowing, Jordan Watkins and Demarcus Robinson. Meanwhile, Kittle is bouncing back from an Achilles injury, and though the star TE says that he has "a chance" to be ready for Week 1, the 49ers may need to lean more on their key wideouts out of the gate this year while Kittle works his way back into the mix. Purdy is coming off a 2025 regular season in which he threw for 2,167 yards with 20 TDs and 10 picks, while carrying 33 times for 147 yards and three scores in nine games. Looking ahead, the signal-caller's fantasy upside in 2026 hinges largely on avoiding injuries, as well as building strong on-field chemistry with his team's re-tooled pass-catching unit.

Brandon Aiyuk

WR

That said, it's unclear whether the Commanders would have interest in signing Aiyuk in such a scenario. Moreover, it's not a situation they can publicly comment on, given that the wideout is still under contract with the 49ers. Back in January, 49ers GM John Lynch said that it was "safe to say that (Aiyuk) has played his last snap with the Niners." However, since then the team has held on to the 2020 first-rounder in the hopes of finding a trade partner. San Francisco's veteran players are set to arrive at training camp July 25, with the report suggesting that it's possible the team is waiting until then to make a call on Aiyuk's status with the franchise.

George Kittle

TE

Kittle hedged his answer, saying he "has a chance" to be ready for the start of the regular season, but the veteran tight end has been open about the fact that he's targeting a Week 1 return, as have head coach Kyle Shanahan and GM John Lynch. Per Florito Maniego of NBC Sports Bay Area, Kittle said Monday that he's already resumed running and has been clocked at over 16 miles an hour, which is a notable step in his recovery an Achilles' tear initially suffered Jan. 11. Throughout spring practices and mandatory minicamp, Kittle worked on the side and with trainers, but it's possible he could be ready to ramp up his activity level during training camp in July.

Sincere McCormick

RB

McCormick was dropped by San Francisco in late May, but the team has decided to bring him back into the fold. The 25-year-old's last in-game NFL action came with the Raiders in 2024, when he appeared in five contests and rushed 39 times for 183 yards while catching six of seven targets for 29 yards.

Mike Evans

WR

"I pinch myself every day," said teammate George Kittle, who then told reporters that Evans caught "three to five" TDs in a red-zone period. Dominance in unpadded practices doesn't mean much, especially for a player who already has such a strong track record, but it's a good sign that Evans is fitting in with the 49ers and earning praise from fellow future Hall of Famers like Kittle and LT Trent Williams. The 32-year-old wideout seems to have been a full participant throughout the voluntary offseason program, acclimating quickly to Kyle Shanahan's offense.

Ashtyn Davis

S

Davis is coming off a solid season in Miami, where he recorded a career-high 65 tackles (43 solo) across 15 games. The 29-year-old had spent his entire five-year career with the Jets before signing with the Dolphins in 2025 and will look to earn a spot on San Francisco's Week 1 roster.

Christian McCaffrey

RB

"I think everything else can be monitored during the week or with a practice schedule or certain ways you train, whatever it may be," McCaffrey said. "But when it comes to game days, I like to think you prepare yourself for playing every snap." McCaffrey handled a career-high 413 touches during the 2025 regular season, leading the NFL in that category for the third time in his nine-year career. Head coach Kyle Shanahan said earlier in the offseason that the team would like to provide McCaffrey more help in the backfield to ensure the star running back stays fresh and effective down the stretch, but McCaffrey has no plans to cede a significant share of regular-season snaps to any of Jordan James, Kaelon Black, Isaac Guerendo (pectoral), Patrick Taylor, Jordan Mims or Jermar Jefferson, all of whom are competing for slotting behind McCaffrey on San Francisco's running back depth chart.

Darrick Forrest

S

It's not clear what kind of injury Forrest is dealing with, but he's now on track to spend the entire 2026 season on IR unless he negotiates an injury settlement with the 49ers. His absence could open up more opportunities for rookie undrafted free agents Jalen Stroman and Larry Worth.

Nick Bosa

DE

The five-time Pro Bowler is recovering from the torn ACL that he suffered during Week 3 of last season. Bosa underwent successful surgery last September after the injury and has offered nothing but positive updates since then.

Isaac Guerendo

RB

The running back suffered the injury while lifting "about a month ago," per David Lombardi of SFStandard.com. Guerendo is expected back near the end of training camp, though he did already undergo surgery, per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com. The 2024 fourth-round pick did not receive a single carry in 2025 despite appearing in 14 regular-season games.

Jacob Cowing

WR

The wide receiver is not only participating, but he apparently looks good, per Maiocco, who called him a standout during Thursday's session, and David Lombardi of SFStandard.com, who reported that coach Kyle Shanahan said he was impressed that Cowing was in such good shape. The 2024 fourth-round pick missed the 2025 campaign with a hamstring injury that he suffered in late August.

Jordan James

RB

Brian Robinson served as San Francisco's No. 2 back last season, but he's since joined Atlanta. That leaves James, Isaac Guerendo, rookie Kaelon Black, Patrick Taylor and Sincere McCormick to battle for position behind McCaffrey, who led the NFL with 413 regular-season touches last year. The 49ers may want to reduce McCaffrey's workload in 2026, but that could hinge on whether a reliable No. 2 back emerges from the above-mentioned group. Wagoner suggests that James has an inside track on the job based partly on his strong play during garbage time in the 49ers' blowout loss to Seattle in the NFC divisional round, when he rushed six times for 28 yards and caught his lone target for seven yards. That's a very small sample size and is far from a guarantee that James -- who didn't play until Week 16 last year -- will take hold of top backup role, though it's worth noting that Guerendo, who may be James' biggest competition for the job, appeared in 14 regular-season games in 2025 but didn't log a single snap on offense.

Kurtis Rourke

QB

Rourke was drafted in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft, but because he spent the entire season on the reserve/non-football injury list as he recovered from a torn ACL he suffered in his final year at Indiana, he'll be eligible to participate in rookie minicamp. According to Matt Barrows of The Athletic, Rourke is competing with Adrian Martinez -- who has played one snap since entering the league in 2023 -- to be the No. 3 QB behind Brock Purdy and Mac Jones.

De'Zhaun Stribling

WR

It also doesn't hurt to have 4.36 speed at 6-foot-2, 207 pounds. Mock drafters nonetheless projected Stribling as a mid-round pick, for the most part, due to concerns about age (24 in December) and his lack of an elite statistical season in college (career highs of 882 yards and six TDs). Reasonable arguments both, though the latter concern is somewhat mitigated by his combination of early success (44-471-5 in 2021 at Washington State) and strong cumulative production (2,964 career receiving yards across three schools). It sounds like the 49ers are even more impressed by Stribling's intangibles/personality, having given him their "gold helmet" label -- a designation they use each year for a handful of prospects viewed as the best culture fits. The franchise clearly is invested in Stribling's success, but his immediate future may entail a not-so-glamorous competition for the No. 3 WR job in an offense that prefers FB Kyle Juszczyk over a third WR outside of clear passing situations. The 49ers also have Christian Kirk, Demarcus Robinson and 2025 fourth-round pick Jordan Watkins hoping to compete for depth roles behind Mike Evans and Ricky Pearsall, both of whom missed large portions of 2025.

Kaelon Black

RB

Black was viewed by many as a reach in the third round, though 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan defended the pick by saying the team viewed Black as the second-best running back in the 2026 Draft class behind third overall pick Jeremiyah Love. San Francisco hasn't had much success drafting running backs in recent years and has yet to get much production out of James (a 2025 fifth-round pick) or Guerendo (a 2024 fourth-round pick). McCaffrey remains the team's undisputed lead back while healthy.

Patrick McMorris

S

McMorris spent the 2025 campaign on the Cardinals' practice squad but didn't appear in any games. The 24-year-old will now spend the remainder of the offseason competing for a spot on San Francisco's final roster.

Khalil Dinkins

TE

Dinkins caught 37 passes for 399 yards and seven touchdowns across his four seasons at Penn State. With George Kittle (Achilles) and Jake Tonges (foot) both dealing with injuries, Dinkins has a chance to make the team's final roster.

Will Pauling

WR

Pauling ended his final college season at Notre Dame, starting six games at wide receiver for the Fighting Irish. The 23-year-old accumulated 26 receptions for 381 receiving yards and six receiving touchdowns over 12 contests as a fifth-year senior. Pauling's speed and quickness provide upside for him as a special-teams producer that can also develop offensive value. If he wants to survive the 49ers' cutdown day, he will have to make his versatile potential clear in training camp.

Wesley Grimes

WR

Grimes played two years at Wake Forest before transferring to North Carolina State for his final two collegiate seasons. The wide receiver caught 29 receptions for 430 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns over 12 games during the 2025 season. Grimes is in for a tough training camp as he attempts to climb up the 49ers depth chart, currently topped by offseason addition Mike Evans.

Enrique Cruz Jr.

OT

Cruz (6-foot-6, 313 pounds) might lack the size and reach (33 and 3/4-inch arms) to stick at tackle, but the Kansas product is extremely athletic and might be able to develop into a noteworthy guard if tackle doesn't work out. It didn't work out at tackle when Cruz was at Syracuse from 2021 to 2024 -- he was benched as left tackle after starting there in his sophomore and junior years. Cruz played right tackle with more success for Kansas, but his 4.9 speed and 35-inch vertical still might work better at guard.

Jaden Dugger

LB

Dugger might need some seasoning after playing two years at Georgetown and two years at Louisiana, with only the 2025 season as starter in his two years with the Ragin' Cajuns. With that said, Dugger is the exact right type of developmental prospect to target in the late rounds, because at 6-foot-5, 242 pounds Dugger has good speed (4.61-second pro day 40) and remarkable reach (35-inch arms) for further development, potentially at either inside or outside linebacker.

Ephesians Prysock

CB

In a lot of ways, Prysock is similar to former Washington teammate Tacario Davis, who was selected in the third round (72nd overall) by the Bengals. Prysock (6-foot-3, 196 pounds) is also an unusually tall corner, and he was only trivially slower than Davis in the 40 (4.41 versus Prysock's 4.45). Also like Davis, Prysock's tall frame dictates that he focus at the boundary corner position, and ideally in press man coverage or Cover-3 principles to best capitalize on his height, reach and speed. With guys this tall they usually struggle against quicker, smaller receivers or/and with zone transitions, though.

Carver Willis

OT

Willis served at right tackle in each of his first five college seasons with Kansas State before moving to the left side of the offensive line in 2025 with Washington. The move was a good one for both the Huskies and Willis, the latter of whom was named an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention despite missing three games due to a left knee injury. Willis excelled in the run game with his ability to seal and finish blocks, but whether he sees meaningful playing time in the NFL will depend on whether he can develop as a capable pass protector. He gives the Niners depth at offensive tackle behind Colton McKivitz and Trent Williams, the latter of whom is entering his age-38 season.