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.

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.

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.

This has been the sentiment all offseason after Kittle suffered a "clean" tear near the soleus muscle higher up on the Achilles in the 49ers' wild-card win over Philadelphia back in January, which typically results in a quicker rehab process. Working against Kittle, however, is his advanced age (32 years old) and just eight months between the injury and Week 1. The 49ers are surely going to be careful with Kittle and not rush him back just to have him at less than 100 percent for the first game of the 2026 season. Jake Tonges (foot) would be next in line at tight end if Kittle isn't ready to face Los Angeles in four months.

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.

McCormick spent time with San Francisco during the 2025 campaign, though he never appeared in a regular-season game. His last regular-season appearance came in 2024 with the Raiders, when he played in five contests and on 84 offensive snaps.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Halton was deployed in multiple alignments on Oklahoma's defensive front during his four-year college career. He finished his senior year in 2025 with 33 total tackles, including 3.5 sacks, one forced fumble and two pass defenses across 13 games. Halton is a bit undersized for the position, but he can beat blockers early with his quick twitch off the snap, and he has the closing speed to chase down opposing ball carriers until the play is dead. Given the versatility he displayed in college, Halton should work in a rotational role on the Niners' defensive line that includes CJ West, Sebastian Valdez, Alfred Collins, Evan Anderson and Osa Odighizuwa (elbow).

Height (6-foot-3, 239 pounds) largely rushed from the outside linebacker position during his breakout campaign with Texas Tech in 2025, when he totaled 38 tackles, including 10.0 sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss across 14 games. He lacks the prototypical size to succeed as an edge rusher at the NFL level, which could limit his upside to that of a rotational player, though having landed in San Francisco, Height is in solid position to thrive as a situational pass rusher behind Nick Bosa (ACL) and 2025 first-round pick Mykel Williams (ACL).

Warner appears to already be back to full health after having suffered a dislocated and fractured right ankle last October and subsequentially undergoing surgery. The star linebacker said in January that he would have been able to retake the field had the 49ers made it to the NFC Championship Game in the postseason, however, so it's no surprise to see that he's since been cleared. Barring any setbacks, Warner projects to return to his usual standing as a truly elite fantasy option in IDP formats during the 2026 campaign.

Williams' extension provides him a salary reflecting his caliber of play that is more feasible than the tremendous $45.3 million number he had carried for 2026. Though he's now heading into his age-38 season, Williams is as sure a bet as exists in the league to continue operating at an elite level for the course of his new extension, which keeps him with the 49ers through 2027. HIs presence provides increased stability for the fantasy value of veteran RB Christian McCaffrey, as well as QB Brock Purdy.

Jones started all 17 regular-season games for the Dolphins in 2025, in which span he totaled a career-high 77 tackles (49 solo) plus six passes defensed, including one interception, and two forced fumbles. Now with the 49ers, Jones could provide Renardo Green with competition for outside-cornerback snaps across from Deommodore Lenoir, or challenge Darrell Luter for a depth role.

Sample, who the Bengals took in the fourth round of the 2021 Draft, recorded 17 tackles and two sacks in 14 regular-season games (including two starts) for Cincinnati in 2025. With San Francisco, the Tulane product will bolster his new team's defensive line depth, though Sample will remain off the IDP radar unless he sees an uptick in playing time in his new locale.

McCaffrey earned NFL Comeback Player of the Year honors in 2025, in which he suited up for all 17 regular-season games while racking up 2,126 yards from scrimmage and 17 total touchdowns on a career-high 413 touches. Shanahan acknowledged that McCaffrey, who will turn 30 in June and was limited to just four appearances in 2024 due to Achilles and knee issues, may have had his efficiency hampered by his workhorse role in 2025, as he averaged just 3.9 YPC. Jordan James and Isaac Guerendo are current candidates to compete for an increased No. 2 role behind McCaffrey following the departure of Brian Robinson for Atlanta, but the 49ers also could make further additions to the backfield in April's draft.

Martin was placed on IR with a concussion Dec. 20, and he was sidelined for the remainder of the season. The 2025 third-round pick tallied 11 tackles and one forced fumble across seven games as a rookie. Martin will likely once again see the majority of his playing time come on special teams while providing depth at inside linebacker.

Williams tore the ACL and lateral meniscus in his right knee during the 49ers' Week 9 win over the Giants. Lynch acknowledged that the 2025 first-round pick might take longer than fellow defensive end Nick Bosa, who tore his ACL about 1.5 months earlier in late September, to recover. Williams tallied 20 tackles and 1.0 sacks over nine games as a rookie.

Bosa suffered a torn right ACL during Week 3 last season and underwent successful surgery in late September. The 28-year-old has been trending in a positive direction since the beginning of the offseason, and it would be a significant boost for San Francisco's defense if he's ready to go for Week 1 of the 2026 regular season. In the four seasons before 2025, Bosa logged 53.5 sacks over 64 regular-season games.

Jones didn't play at all last season after breaking a bone in his neck in late July while with the Cowboys. He's presumably back to health and could compete for a starting role with the 49ers. During his tenure with the Dolphins from 2021 to 2024, Jones started 30 of the 49 games in which he appeared.

Okuayinonu is officially set to return to San Francisco, where he spent the past two seasons, recording 74 tackles (48 solo) and two forced fumbles across 31 games. The 27-year-old will likely continue to operate as a backup linebacker during the upcoming campaign.