Before the San Francisco 49ers finalize their 53-man roster, there will be tough decisions to make from the 90-man roster in training camp. The 90-man roster includes roster locks, veteran invites, draftees, and undrafted free agents. John Lynch has been vocal about players having the same opportunity regardless of draft capital or when the player is added to the mix. “If you have an opportunity to help us, you’ll be a part of our team,” Lynch said at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine.
Eleven picks in the draft will have a tough time making the 53-man roster. Of course, the locks are the early picks on defense, but the later the pick, the tougher the challenge.
Now, imagine the uphill battle for an undrafted free agent. The 49ers aren’t afraid of adding undrafted players to their gameday roster. Jordan Mason started many games last season for the 49ers after sitting on the roster awaiting his opportunity.
Which undrafted players should 49ers fans keep an eye on?
Drew Moss, G, Colorado State
After the 49ers addressed the offensive line with the selection of Connor Colby, Moss was added as an undrafted free agent as an interior offensive lineman. Moss is a proficient zone blocker with the desired physical traits of a Kyle Shanahan lineman.
Last season, Moss finished with a 90.5 offensive grade, a 92.6 run-blocking grade, and an 81.3 pass-blocking grade on 866 snaps. On 438 pass-blocking snaps, Moss allowed one sack, a QB hit, seven hurries, and nine pressures.
Moss added a 97.0 true pass set efficiency in 2024 and will be thrown into a competition for the left guard spot as potential depth for the interior offensive line.
Jakob Robinson, CB, BYU
Robinson moved inside as a slot cornerback in 2024 after 708 snaps outside in 2023. On 61 targets, Robinson allowed 37 receptions for only 344 yards, which averages out to 9.3 per reception.
2024 saw Robinson post a career-high 74.4 defensive grade and 69.9 run defense grade with a 71.4 tackling grade, 74.8 pass rushing grade, and a 72.5 coverage grade.
The real chance to crack the roster is Robinson’s special-teams prowess. The 49ers are searching far and wide for players to improve their bottom-of-the-league unit in 2024.
Corey Kiner, RB, Cincinnati
After transferring from LSU to Cincinnati in 2022, Kiner finished with over 1,000 rushing yards in back-to-back seasons in 2023 and 2024. Kiner finished with 841 yards after contact, 82 missed tackles forced, 39 rushes over ten-plus yards, and a career-high 1,147 rushing yards.
The running back room has competition with Isaac Guerendo, Jordan James, and Patrick Taylor competing for snaps behind Christian McCaffrey. The 49ers have favored undrafted running backs before and Kiner will have an opportunity to show out during training camp.
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