Analyzing San Francisco 49ers 5 Deepest Roster Spots

The San Francisco 49ers head toward the 2015 season and are fortunate enough to have bolstered a number of critical positions via free agency and the NFL draft.

San Francisco's roster, which stands at 90 players, will eventually be whittled down to 53 players by the start of Week 1 of the regular season. In the meantime, organized team activities (OTAs), training camp and the preseason will provide the necessary competition to determine which players make the cut.

So which of these positional units are the deepest as the 49ers head into the next phase of the offseason?

A number of these positions—such as tight end, the secondary and along the defensive line—were addressed via the draft. Others received help during free agency.

Depth is always a good thing. But with the 49ers only able to keep so many players, will some of that depth be wasted on the inevitable cuts that are to come? More importantly, will there be notable standouts who might surpass established veterans on the depth chart?

San Francisco's offseason has already been turbulent. But the deep units within its roster might prove to be critical elements in getting this franchise back on track.

Tight End

Tight End—Nine Players

1. Vernon Davis
2. Vance McDonald
3. Derek Carrier
4. Garrett Celek
5. Blake Bell
6. Asante Cleveland
7. Xavier Grimble
8. Rory "Busta" Anderson
9. Kyle Nelson

The 49ers added two tight ends via the draft in 2015—Blake Bell and Rory Anderson. These two are added to an already deep crop of tight ends who are likely vying for only three or four spots on the 53-man roster.

No. 1 tight end Vernon Davis is coming off one of the worst seasons of his nine-year career in which he posted just 26 receptions for 245 yards and two touchdowns. The 31-year-old is also entering a contract season.

Davis' 2014 campaign may have been an anomaly, or it could be a sign of things to come. But Davis has ensured, via his Twitter account, that he will make things work with quarterback Colin Kaepernick this season.

"

#Chemistry. We're gonna make it happen this year. pic.twitter.com/xEWpzfmiE6

— Vernon Davis (@VernonDavis85) May 25, 2015"

The 49ers hope that will be the case, as there isn't exactly a lot of proven depth behind him. No. 2 tight end Vance McDonald has yet to establish himself as more than just a blocking tight end. Injuries have also limited him to only 23 games over his two-year career. McDonald is quickly approaching "bust" status and may have one more season to prove his worth.

Long snapper Kyle Nelson gets a pass for the roster given his value on special teams. But another positional battle should take place between the remaining cast. 

Backup tight end Derek Carrier showed some promise in 2014 with nine receptions on 14 targets. But another player to watch will be rookie tight end Bell.

The former Oklahoma prospect played tight end just one year in college after serving as a quarterback the previous three. But as illustrated in the video above, Bell could be a noteworthy selection out of the draft if he can put his 6'6", 263-pound frame to effective use.

Running Back

Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

Running back Carlos Hyde is poised to take the reins from Frank Gore in 2015.

Running Back—Six Players

1. Carlos Hyde
2. Kendall Hunter
3. Reggie Bush
4. Kendall Gaskins
5. Mike Davis
6. Jarryd Hayne

San Francisco's all-time leading rusher Frank Gore is gone via free agency, and the 49ers are prepared to insert second-year pro Carlos Hyde into the No. 1 slot at running back.

Hyde has two established veterans set to back him up in 2015—Reggie Bush and Kendall Hunter. However, injuries thwarted both Bush and Hunter's 2014 campaigns, so the team must approach their respective futures with some caution.

Still, head coach Jim Tomsula reiterated, via Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee, back in January that he wanted to feature the running game. This places San Francisco's crop of runners into a great deal of importance.

But how will the pieces fit together?

The 30-year-old Bush isn't exactly a featured back at this point in his career. But his 466 career receptions give the 49ers an added receiving threat out of the backfield and could open up the offense to a degree not seen in recent seasons. 

Bush is developing chemistry with quarterback Colin Kaepernick, per the team's website.

"

"Me and @Kaepernick7 are really starting to develop a good relationship." -@ReggieBush http://t.co/Ji0Wx8oBne pic.twitter.com/NjJ1DkK2L9

— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) May 22, 2015"

Teams typically carry no more than three running backs on their 53-man rosters. If Hyde and Bush are relatively safe in securing two of these, who makes the final spot?

Hunter would be a safe bet to make the roster. But he also enters a contract season, which could put him in some jeopardy for a spot especially if rookie back Mike Davis impresses enough to win a job.

And former Australian rugby star Jarryd Hayne could also turn some heads provided he learns the game sufficiently enough to make a difference. Until that point, Hayne is a long shot to make the Week 1 roster.

Wide Receiver

Wide Receiver—12 Players

1. Anquan Boldin
2. Torrey Smith
3. Jerome Simpson
4. Bruce Ellington
5. Quinton Patton
6. Chuck Jacobs
7. DeAndre Smelter
8. Dres Anderson
9. Isaac Blakeney
10. DiAndre Campbell
11. Darius Davis
12. DeAndrew White

The 49ers needed substantial help at wide receiver after finishing No. 30 in the league last season with just 3,063 receiving yards.

Despite the free-agent losses of wideouts Michael Crabtree and Brandon Lloyd and the release of Stevie Johnson, San Francisco was able to upgrade this position by acquiring veteran receiving targets Torrey Smith and Jerome Simpson.

Smith gives the 49ers a much-needed speed element. This might help tight end Vernon Davis, who previously was the primary deep threat on offense prior to 2015. Davis should now be allowed to run more traditional tight end routes with Smith on board.

Veteran wideout Anquan Boldin will likely be paired with Smith as the team's premier receivers. Simpson, Quinton Patton and Bruce Ellington should compete for the team's No. 3 receiver, per Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com.

Ellington is likely secured of a spot on the roster given his return role on special teams. But what about the rest of the group?

Patton enters his third pro season after missing much of his 2013 rookie year due to injury and being inactive for all but four games last year. The 49ers obviously want this to change if they view Patton as a part of their long-term plans.

"I'm not going to say it's my time, but I'm coming," Patton said via Joe Fann of 49ers.com. "Playtime is over with."

"

#49ers WR @PattonBoy_11 sets his sights on a breakout 2015 campaign. http://t.co/SBJVQvhHCn pic.twitter.com/51DYDGBGmZ

— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) May 26, 2015"

Rookie receiver and fourth-round draftee DeAndre Smelter is worth eyeballing if not for his unlikely participation in training camp. According to general manager Trent Baalke (h/t Chris Biderman of Scout.com), Smelter's collegiate ACL injury may not keep him out for the entire season.

The 49ers could always place him on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list to start the season.

Another intriguing rookie is former Utah wideout Dres Anderson, whom the 49ers picked up as an undrafted free agent. NFLDraftScout.com, per CBS Sports, projected the 6'1", 187-pound speedster as a late third- or early fourth-round pick.

San Francisco's coaching staff will be closely monitoring this group not just for this season, but for 2016—the year in which Boldin's current contract expires.

Secondary

Secondary—16 Players

1. CB Tramaine Brock
2. CB Shareece Wright
3. CB Dontae Johnson
4. CB Chris Cook
5. CB Marcus Cromartie
6. CB Leon McFadden
7. CB Jimmie Ward
8. CB Keith Reaser
9. CB Kenneth Acker
10. CB Mylan Hicks
11. S Antoine Bethea
12. S Eric Reid
13. S Craig Dahl
14. S L.J. McCray
15. S Jaquiski Tartt
16. S Jermaine Whitehead

The 49ers lost cornerbacks Chris Culliver and Perrish Cox to free agency this offseason. To alleviate these losses, San Francisco added former San Diego Chargers defensive back Shareece Wright and re-signed cornerback Chris Cook. The 49ers also added UDFA Jermaine Whitehead following the 2015 draft.

Now the pressing question will be whether or not the 49ers secondary can replicate the 2014 efforts—a season in which this unit allowed just 3,531 passing yards and produced 23 interceptions, which ranked No. 5 and No. 1 in the league, respectively.

Cornerback Tramaine Brock should return healthy as San Francisco's No. 1 corner. He missed all but three games last year. The opposite side is up for debate. 

Wright's four years of experience help, but according to Pro Football Focus (h/t Christian Gin of Examiner.com), Wright wasn't exactly stellar against top wideouts. He also had a bad reputation for committing penalties. Will the change of scenery prove beneficial to Wright?

"

.@PFF has Shareece Wright with a negative grade from 2014. Drew penalties, struggled against No. 1 WRs. #49ers #Chargers

— Christian Gin (@Christian_Gin) March 13, 2015"

Second-year pros Kenneth Acker and Keith Reaser could also make an impression. Both were redshirted last season although Acker showed some promise in the preseason.

Fellow second-year corner Dontae Johnson could also emerge as a No. 2 cornerback. Johnson posted 26 tackles and six passes defended his rookie season, and those numbers could get even better given his first-year experience.

Johnson explains his growth in the above video.

And what about the safety position? San Francisco entered 2015 with a standout safety tandem that consisted of Eric Reid and Antoine Bethea. But Reid has a concussion history, and the 30-year-old Bethea is aging. It's feasible that the 49ers part ways with the veteran before his current four-year, $21 million contract expires in 2018.

Added to the safety mix is former Samford standout Jaquiski Tartt. The 49ers drafted Tartt in Round 2, and it's possible the defense utilizes him as a third safety in passing situations and as an inside linebacker in nickel formations, per David Fucillo of Niners Nation.

In the meantime, Tartt will learn to hone his craft and take in all the information he can from San Francisco's crop of veterans.

"

When you have two pro bowls safeties in front of you like @E_Reid35 and @ABethea41 you shouldn't expect to start you should expect to learn

— Quaski Tartt (@QuaskiT) May 5, 2015"

What this means for other safeties like Craig Dahl and L.J. McCray will eventually be determined in the coming weeks. Needless to say, both will have plenty of competition given the 49ers' high investment in Tartt.

Defensive Line

Defensive Line—12 Players

1. Darnell Dockett
2. Glenn Dorsey
3. Ian Williams
4. Quinton Dial
5. Tank Carradine
6. Tony Jerod-Eddie
7. Kaleb Ramsey
8. Lawrence Okoye
9. Mike Purcell
10. Garrison Smith
11. Marcus Rush
12. Arik Armstead

Longtime veteran defensive end Justin Smith has now retired, and the 49ers hope that they have added enough depth to make up for The Cowboy's departure.

According to head coach Jim Tomsula (h/t Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee), San Francisco's defensive line is as deep as he can recall despite the losses of Smith and fellow end Ray McDonald.

And Tomsula is equally excited about the ongoing development of Tank Carradine.

"He works so hard, and he's talented," Tomsula said of Carradine, via Barrows.

Carradine appeared in just nine games last season after redshirting his 2013 rookie campaign. But Carradine finished the final four contests of the year with 11 tackles and three sacks. Hopefully, this is a suggestion of what his pass-rushing abilities will be on a regular basis.

More importantly, can Carradine fill the void that Smith left? Previously, Smith was known for locking up multiple blockers and allowing linebacker Aldon Smith to target opposing quarterbacks.

"We work together a little bit, figuring out what kind of stunts and things we could do," Carradine said, via Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. "I'm excited to work with [Aldon] this year. He's a great pass-rusher. I feel like I can bring something to the table to help him as well as he helps me."

"

VIDEO: Tank Carradine: Defensive line will be 'different' this year http://t.co/JhHWeLQVyQ #49ers #NFL pic.twitter.com/wrEScxl2ER

— Comcast SportsNet (@CSNAuthentic) May 22, 2015"

The free-agent acquisition of former Arizona Cardinals D-lineman Darnell Dockett also reinforces this unit. Even though Dockett is 33 years old and missed all of 2014 with a knee injury, his defensive prowess is enough to ensure the depth and potency of the D-line.

Other veterans like Glenn Dorsey, Ian Williams, Quinton Dial and Tony Jerod-Eddie will join Dockett.

Supplementing the depth will be other role players like Lawrence Okoye. Okoye has yet to appear in a regular-season game, so the 49ers might be evaluating him to determine whether or not the British Olympian will ever pan out at the NFL level.

More eyes will fall upon San Francisco's No. 1 draft pick in 2015—former Oregon defensive end Arik Armstead.

The 6'7", 292-pound rookie has more than enough likable attributes physically. But Armstead posted just four sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss in three years with the Ducks, which has called into question his overall efforts on the field.

Armstead answered back, via Eric Branch of SFGate.com (h/t Josh Alper of NBC Sports):

"

I think it's a mixture of stuff. There are expectations—people expect me to do certain things. If they don't see it happening—if I don’t get 15 sacks—then I'm not trying hard. I have the skill-set, so they think I should be doing that. I think people see me and think 'Oh, if I was your size, I would be doing that.'

"

Fortunately, the 49ers aren't in a position in which they'll have to press Armstead into a regular role right away. He can be added to the mix on an as-needed basis. Armstead will likely be rotated into the D-line his rookie year, which will help keep the veterans fresh and give Armstead valuable experience.

He just needs to put that experience to use.

All statistics, records and accolades courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com and Sports-Reference.com unless otherwise indicated. Contractual information courtesy of OverTheCap.com.

Peter Panacy is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report, covering the San Francisco 49ers.

Follow him @PeterPanacy on Twitter.