Originally posted by AB81Rules:
Originally posted by 9ersLiferInChicago:
My 2023 53 man roster prediction - 1.0
Honestly, I think this is one of Shanny & Co. top drafts. I have most, if not all of our draftees making the 53. Mark my words, in the next 2 or 3 years people are gonna be talking about how great this 49ers draft class is.
QB: 3
- Purdy
- Lance
- Darnold
OT: 4
I don't think Fisher is lasting on the PS. This
- Williams
- McKivitz
- Pryor/J. Moore
- Gutierrez/J. Fisher
OG: 4
- Burford
- Banks
- Zakelj
- Poe/I. Manning
I think Poe makes it, but he'll be competing with Manning. This O-line is gonna be much better than what people are thinking.
C: 1
- Brendel
RB: 4
- McCaffrey
- Mitchell
- Mason
- Davis-Price/R. Awatt/K. Laborn
For the life of me I don't understand why Shanny won't rotate his backs more. T. Davis-Price had better show more this year or we could be seeing yet another undrafted RB making this roster.
FB: 1
- Juszczyk
WR: 5
- Samuel
- Aiyuk
- Jennings
- Ray-Ray McCloud III
- Gray/R. Bell
I'd like to see us keep 6, but I don't think we'll be able to given the talent elsewhere. Last season we had 5 on the depth chart. Gonna be hard to fit 6 on the roster this year too. Danny Gray is on notice. He needs to step up. I must say that I like this Isaiah Winstead kid out of East Carolina. He should be safe on the PS for development.
TE: 3
- Kittle
- Dwelley
- Willis/C. Latu,
I labored a bit on this position group. I'd like to keep 4, but I don't see how 4 fits. I'm kind of confused about the 2 TE's we drafted. Don't get me wrong, I like them both. But Willis seems more like a Shanny-type TE, while Latu looks to be more of a pass catching TE. Willis seems to be a better fit for Shanny's offense given his versatility. This tells me that Willis would likely see more playing time over Latu even though Latu was drafted nearly 150 picks higher. This is why I think this is it for Charlie Woerner. Now, many won't like this take but I think Brayden Willis' versatility will be too enticing for Shanny to cut. In all honesty, I see Willis being more of a FB and eventual replacement for Juszczyk.
DT: 4
- Hargrave
- Armstead
- Kinlaw
- Givens
T.Y. McGill will be the odd man out here. Hopefully we can keep him on the PS.
DE: 5
- Bosa
- Jackson
- Hyder Jr.
- Ferrell
- Beal Jr.
Yup, I got Beal making the team. His speed of the edge is just too good to be able to hide him on the PS. I really have a feeling that the pass rush this season is gonna be historic. Jackson will need to step up this season. Honestly, I have the pass rush this season to be the top pass rushing team in the league. I'm predicting that Bosa and another EDGE rusher will have double digit sacks.
LB: 6
- Warner
- Greenlaw
- Winters
- Burks
- McCrary-Ball/D. Flannigan-Fowles
- Graham
Hands down, THE best LB corps in the world. Dee Winters will be Al-Shaair's replacement and day-one starter, book it. An absolute steal. Many had a high to mid-2nd round grade on him. Winters will be in the running for defensive rookie of the year. And Jalen Graham will beat out Curtis Robinson for that last LB spot. Jalen Graham will not last on the PS. Graham, Burks, and McCrary-Ball/Flannigan-Fowles are gonna be fantastic special teamers.
CB: 6
- Ward
- Lenoir
- Oliver
- Womack III
- Luter Jr.
- Thomas/Q. Knight
There's gonna be A LOT of competition at this position. Ward is the only truly solidified spot. Lenoir will likely hold onto that #2 CB spot, but I think the rookie Luter and even Womack will make a real push to make it hard on Shanny & Co. I see Oliver as the slot, but Womack will be lurking. Ambry Thomas (if he makes the team) is on notice. He will not make the team over Womack or Luter.
SS: 2
- Hufanga
- Odem
FS: 2
Ji'Ayir Brown
- Gibson/M. Hartsfield
Yeah, I got Ji'Ayir Brown as the opening day starter. Gibson was very good, but Brown is more of a playmaker with better ball skills. I see Gibson battling it out with Hartsfield. Hartsfield is a Wilks guy, so he'll get every conceivable opportunity. But honestly I don't see him being better than Gibson.
K: 1
- Moody
P: 1
- Wishnowsky
LS: 1
- Pepper
I have most, if not all, of our draftees making the 53 because I honestly don't think any of them will last on the PS save for Ronnie Bell. Honestly, IMHO this is one of Shanny & Co. best drafts. In fact, I'd say they were surgical in their picks. Each draft pick was drafted in very key spots to fill specific needs. And, from all that I'm hearing, they all were players Shanny & Co. were targeting. There seemed to be an emphasis put on drafting team captains, and experience. Ji'Ayir Brown is a clear Jimmie Ward replacement. Kickers drafted in the 3rd round don't hit the PS. While I don't see how Cameron Latu fits in Shanny's scheme I do see a path for him to make the team given his draft status. (I think he was a "collaborative" pick.) Darrell Luter Jr. was drafted into a position group that's wide open outside of Ward, and with one competitor likely getting cut. Robert Beal Jr. (who just signed a 4 year deal) was drafted into a position group thirsty for Dee Ford's replacement. Dee Winters is Al-Shaair replacement. In fact I think he's better than Al-Shaair due to his cover skills. People are comparing him to Greenlaw, but I think he compares better to Warner in that he's a converted safety with very good cover skills and his sideline-to-sideline ability. He's a every-down LB. But he brings the wood like Greenlaw and Al-Shaair. Winters is gonna be a star, book that. Brayden Willis is the definition of versatility, probably the most versatile player we have behind Deebo. And we know how much Shanny covets versatility. In my mind Ronnie Bell will push Danny Gray for a roster spot. If Gray has a good camp and preseason Bell will likely be on the PS. Finally, Jalen Graham is an upgrade over Curtis Robinson and Flannigan-Fowles.
So, the way I see it, most of these guys are making the team. Before the draft I didn't think this. I didn't think we'd get any day-one starter out of this draft. But given the players we drafted not only do I can see these guys pushing disappointments off the roster – like trimming the fat from the periphery of the roster – but getting 3 day-one starters in key positions (kicker, LB, FS).
Thoughts?
Umm, where is Feliciano, he'll be the backup center.
Why is Brown ahead of Gipson, they're not cutting Gipson, also no way they cut Latu. Gray isn't getting cut either.
Nick Zakelj can play all 3 interior spots, and at OT in a pinch. I don't think Feliciano offers that flexibility. But he could very well make the team. I won't be upset if he did. As for Gibson, I don't think he's getting cut either, and I never said that he would. I just think Brown is the better talent and a bigger playmaker. As for Latu again, I didn't say he'd be cut. I did say that I'm not sure how he fits given he's mainly a pass catching TE. I don' think he offers much as a blocker, so when he's in the game it'll signal pass to the defense. Shanny does not like that. This is why I said that he may just be a "collaborative" pick. Maybe they have plans to convert him to WR But if he don't show he can block in camp and the preseason I don't see Shanny occupying a spot for a player who can't get on the field. Finally, again, I never said Gray would get cut either. But he is on notice (as with a few others). He MUST produce!
[ Edited by 9ersLiferInChicago on May 5, 2023 at 5:33 PM ]