© Vasha Hunt-USA TODAY Sports
The 49ers signed twice as many undrafted free agents as they drafted. John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan have both spoken about how they felt fairly comfortable with their limited draft selections because of how difficult it will be for any rookie to make the roster. That may well be exacerbated by the lack of OTA’s this summer and a potentially abbreviated training camp.
Still, the team always brings some undrafted free agents or former undrafted free agents into the fold: Kendrick Bourne, Jeff Wilson Jr., Matt Breida, Ross Dwelley, Daniel Brunskill, Ben Garland, Azeez Al-Shaair, K’Waun Williams, Emmanuel Moseley.
Of the final 53-man roster to end training camp and the final 53-man entering the Super Bowl (including inactives) excluding the three special teams players, the 49ers had 10 rostered players who were former undrafted free agents. That’s 20 of the roster composed entirely of UDFAs.
That’s all to say, they are important, and the 49ers are skilled at finding capable players in their undrafted free agent classes. That will not change this year.
Here is this year’s undrafted free agent class, ranked in order of most likely to least likely to make the roster:
- Jonas Griffith, LB, Indiana State: Griffith is competing for one of the most vulnerable spots on the roster with Mark Nzeocha, Azeez Al-Shaair and Joe Walker. It’s four guys competing for two spots. Walker, after a surprisingly solid year with the Cardinals, might have the best chance as a rotational and special teams option, to be the fourth in the linebacker room, which would leave a 3-for-1 competition. Nzeocha is getting older at age 30 and isn’t exactly bringing irreplaceable value, but is a favorite of special teams coordinator Richard Hightower. Al-Shaair is raw, but athletic and younger, and a year wiser; he won’t exactly be easy to unseat, either. But Griffith was one of those guys who just made tackles, constantly. He looked slightly slow on tape, but would close quick enough and displayed some exciting athleticism in his virtual pro day (which, unlike most, actually showed multiple wide camera angles to prove its validity). He had 106 tackles in his senior season, and could, at the very least, be an upgrade over Nzeocha, who the 49ers will save about $750k by cutting.
- Jared Mayden, S, Alabama: Mayden sort of went under-the-radar because he played alongside Xavier McKinney at Alabama, and isn’t exactly the highlight-reel hitter that McKinney is. But something tells me the 49ers are looking for coverage value behind Jaquiski Tartt at strong safety, and Mayden would no doubt provide that. After years of Adrian Colbert and Marcell Harris being exciting on special teams and big-hit tacklers on run downs, it feels like the 49ers may finally decide to go another route after seeing how chasmic their coverage deficiencies are. If Mayden can flash athleticism and affirm that coverage talent translates to the NFL, he could well be Tartt’s backup.
- JaMycal Hasty, RB, Baylor: Hasty might make it easier for the 49ers to finally part ways with Jerick McKinnon or trade away Tevin Coleman, but my money is on the former, given Shanahan’s sometimes confounding infatuation with Coleman. Hasty’s main knock in a Shanahan offense is that he doesn’t always hit the hole full speed like Raheem Mostert, but he came from a Big 12 offense, where passing was prioritized and run blocking wasn’t spectacular. Shanahan will want less patience in hitting the hole, but something tells me Hasty has the instincts to burst through. On film, he’s got blinding acceleration and was one of the best pass-catching backs in the draft. That receiving ability could ease the pain of losing McKinnon, or Coleman (who had a horrible time catching the ball down the stretch).
- Broc Rutter, QB, North Central College: Maybe the most exciting UDFA the 49ers signed, Rutter effectively won the Division III Heisman trophy (Gagliardi Trophy) when he won a National Championship last season, passing for an insane 309 of 435 passes (71.0 percent) for 4,591 yards and 56 touchdowns, with just 5 INTs. Most importantly, he looks like an NFL quarterback on tape. His ball placement stands out as better than some of the players that get drafted, and his pocket awareness was sixth-sense like. The question is whether that translates to the NFL. Even if it does, it’s very easy for Shanahan to be dour about him and use the fact that he’s a D-III guy to try and sneak him on the practice squad and pretend that C.J. Beathard is still worth keeping on the roster (he’s not).
- Darrion Daniels, DT, Nebraska: Big, run-stuffing guy who had poor leverage too often, but has a chance to make the roster if injuries hit. There’s something exciting and raw about him, but the 49ers’ depth chart is pretty well packed at the nose position. He’s effectively competing with Kevin Givens and Kentavius Street, but he’s more of a true nose than them, and the 49ers did lose Sheldon Day in free agency, so if they want a 1-for-1 D.J. Jones backup, Daniels has a shot
- Salvon Ahmed, RB, Washington: Ahmed is just way too hesitant and has scary poor vision. The number of times you watch his film and try to figure out why he abandoned an open running lane is just puzzling. Timestamped for your displeasure. The thing that gives him a chance is his burst and straight-line speed. He seems like he can get through a hole faster than Hasty, but Hasty’s instincts are far better. In a likely abbreviated offseason, my hunch is the 49ers go with the unproven prospect who doesn’t need to be developed. One or both will likely be a practice squad player.
- Chris Finke, WR, Notre Dame: There’s something innately exciting about “The Slippery Fox.” He’s one of those guys who lacks elite athleticism and doesn’t really have an NFL frame, but it just seems impossible that he won’t light up some days of practice this summer. He’s just as his nickname belies: slippery. He runs really crafty, deceptive routes, and found himself wide open on tape more than a lot of the elite receiving prospects in the draft. He seems like an ideal practice squad candidate in a packed wide receiving room, but it wouldn’t be insane to see him challenge for a slot spot, especially if Trent Taylor cannot get healthy again.
- DeMarkus Acy, CB, Missouri: Acy is just too unpolished as a cornerback, though he might be able to use his length and athleticism as a sneaky backup safety option. His footwork is scary, though, and the 49ers can’t afford a total project player as their backup to Jaquiski Tartt.
- Chase Harrell, TE/DE, Arkansas: All I’m going off is Harrell’s size and discernible athleticism, because there’s really no tape on him. He might have a hard time making it as a tight end, but the defensive line depth for the 49ers is thin, so that might be his best chance.
- Josh Hokit, FB, Fresno State: Hokit seems like an H-back, tight end type, who’s more than happy to get physical. He was also a talented wrestler in college, and would probably be viewed as insurance if Kyle Juszczyk gets injured. Like Harrell, there’s not much tape on him.
