Predicting the Final San Francisco 49ers' 2012 53-Man Roster

The San Francisco 49ers enter the 2012 NFL season as heavy favorites to win the NFC West due to their incredibly talented roster.

Though it's early on in the process, I thought I'd take a look into the future and predict the 53-man roster for opening day. There are definitely some players that are a given to make this list, but there are also sure to be a few surprises in store.

Here are the players I expect to make the 49ers' opening-day roster in 2012.

3 Quarterbacks

The 49ers will keep three quarterbacks on their active roster.

Alex Smith is the unquestioned starter. 

Josh Johnson, an old pupil of Jim Harbaugh's from his time at the University of San Diego, will likely be the second-string quarterback.

Colin Kaepernick will continue to be groomed to be the eventual replacement for Smith, unless he ends up becoming for the 49ers what Kevin Kolb was for Andy Reid and the Philadelphia Eagles: trade bait.

4 Running Backs

According to ESPN.com, the 49ers currently have eight running backs on their roster, but only four will end up on the 53-man roster to begin the season.

Obviously, Frank Gore will start.

Then, you have a logjam underneath Gore for the second-string spot, but Kendall Hunter will retain his spot as the backup.

Rookie LaMichael James will definitely be seeing action on Sundays, and he'll get in right behind Hunter. 

Finally, veteran Brandon Jacobs will round out this talented group as a goal-line, short-yardage specialist and as insurance against anything happening on the injury front.

1 Fullback

Dear God, if you care about the 49ers and my sanity, please make sure Moran Norris isn't on the roster in 2012.

Bruce Miller showed a lot of promise as a converted defensive end playing the fullback position last year, and his athleticism combined with his ability to punish opposing linebackers in the running game makes him a perfect West Coast fullback in the mold of Tom Rathman—who just so happens to be his running backs coach.

5 Wide Receivers

Make no mistake about it, Randy Moss is going to make the 49ers roster. Not only that, but he will see a ton of action in 2012.

Michael Crabtree is also going to be a major cog in the 49ers' offensive machine, and he will likely be one of the two starters.

Mario Manningham will be heavily involved in the offense, but I'll be surprised if he ends up becoming a starter. More than likely he'll come in on three-wide sets on the outside while Crabtree lines up in the slot.

Rookie A.J. Jenkins will be a featured player for the 49ers, and I expect he'll split time with Moss as the season progresses.

Finally, to round out the wide receiving corps, Ted Ginn will once again be retained for his ability to make big plays in the return game.

3 Tight Ends

The 49ers will utilize plenty of three-tight end sets in 2012, and as such, they're going to need three tight ends.

Vernon Davis will have a career year. He's going to prove players like Rob Gronkowski and Jimmy Graham have nothing on him.

Delanie Walker will be back for at least one more year as the team's second tight end. He is invaluable in special teams, as well, and there is no way he doesn't make the cut.

Nate Byham will be the final tight end to make the 53-man roster. He is a blocking specialist who can also make some plays in the passing game if need be, and his presence was sorely missed when he was out most of last year with a knee injury.

8 Offensive Linemen

All hail the departure of Chilo Rachal!

We're getting into the meat-and-potatoes portion of this program, and it's time to talk about which big men will make the final cuts this summer.

First off, the starters.

Joe Staley is a mainstay at left tackle, and he does a fantastic job protecting Alex Smith's blind side all by his lonesome most of the time.

Mike Iupati is becoming one of the best guards in the game, and he will line up next to Staley on the left side.

Jonathan Goodwin still has some gas left in the tank, and he will start at center.

Here's where it gets tricky. 

The Sacramento Bee reports that Alex Boone has been informed he'll be competing at the right guard position with Mike Person and Daniel Kilgore. 

My money's on Boone to win the spot, and he'll start at right guard.

Anthony Davis will continue to improve at the right tackle position, and he will start.

That leaves three open positions: Daniel Kilgore, Mike Person and Jason Slowey will round out this group as the backups.

7 Defensive Linemen

The 49ers will keep seven defensive linemen to make sure they can rotate them throughout the games and keep their starters rested for the fourth quarters.

Justin Smith is the cornerstone. He starts on the right side.

Isaac Sopoaga was stellar as a immovable object in the middle of the 49ers' 3-4 scheme last year, and he will continue to do the same in 2012.

Ray McDonald showed major improvement last year, and his ability to attack the quarterback from the left side makes life tough on opposing right guards and tackles.

Ricky Jean Francois will backup Sopoaga and see plenty of playing time during the season.

DeMarcus Dobbs should improve upon his impressive 2011 season, and I expect him to bully his way into the rotation even more in 2012 on the outside.

Ian Williams and Will Tukuafu will round out the group, though both of them will see little action unless there is an unfortunate injury to one of the starters.

9 Linebackers

Running a 3-4 scheme means you need to stock up on linebackers, and thankfully for the 49ers they have the most talented group out of any team in the NFL.

Aldon Smith will start on the right side next to Justin Smith on the edge—a fearsome prospect for opposing left tackles.

Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman are the two best middle linebackers in the NFL.

Ahmad Brooks will start on the left side. He has improved every single season since joining the 49ers, and if he can continue the trend the 49ers may see their impressive sack totals of 2011 take another jump in a positive direction.

Tavares Gooden is a special teams ace, and he's sure to be on the roster. 

Larry Grant showed he's more than capable of stepping in should something happen to either Willis or Bowman, so he's definitely sticking around.

Parys Haralson will stay on, though I dare say he may see his snaps dwindle as the next couple of rookies start to get their game rolling.

Cam Johnson and Darius Fleming will both make the roster in 2012, and I have high hopes for both men in the years to come.

8 Defensive Backs

The 49ers' secondary used to be the defense's weak link. No longer.

Carlos Rogers will start as the No. 1 cornerback, and I'm ecstatic the team was able to re-sign him for a reasonable deal.

Chris Culliver will start as the No. 2 cornerback. He showed serious shut-down abilities last year, and when it's all said and done he may very well be one of the biggest steals of the 2011 NFL draft.

Tarell Brown will the the team's nickel corner, and he'll see plenty of action in 2012.

Dashon Goldson is obviously the starting free safety and, like Rogers, it's amazing the 49ers were able to retain him this year.

Donte Whitner is unquestionably the team's starting strong safety, and I can't wait to see what kind of numbers he puts up in his second year of Vic Fangio's system.

C.J. Spillman is one of the special teams leaders, so he will definitely be on the roster.

Tramaine Brock and Perrish Cox will round out this talented group, and both men will find ways to make plays in the passing game at times.

Special Teams

Special teams players don't get enough credit for impacting the game.

The 49ers have the best special teams group in the NFL, and last year's incredible 13-3 record can greatly be attributed to their excellent play.

Andy Lee is the team's starting punter, and his ability to change field position in his team's favor makes him the best in the NFL.

David Akers is the team's starting place-kicker. He is consistent and reliable, something that is like money in the bank for a head football coach.

Brian Jennings will make his 13th straight appearance as the 49ers' long-snapper, though at 35 years old he doesn't have too many years left.

Conclusion

The pieces are in place for the 49ers to make a run at the Lombardi Trophy in 2012. Much will depend on the right arm of Alex Smith. If he continues to make the same kind of improvements in both attitude and skill it's conceivable they will make it to the Super Bowl.

Injuries always play a major role in determining whether or not a team has a successful season, but the 49ers have depth at every position now, except for on the offensive line. 

This team will be exciting to watch next year, and I can't wait for the early returns to come in about how the players fare during mini-camps and in training camp. 

Follow @JesseReed78