San Francisco 49ers: Predicting Their Depth Chart at Every Position for Next Season

May 22, 2013; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) stands with his running backs during organized team activities at the 49ers training complex. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

The San Francisco 49ers will be going to training camp later this month, and there are some position battles to watch. This team is filled with good players and is primed for a championship run.

In this article, we will take a look at the projected depth chart at every position.

Quarterback:

1. Colin Kaepernick
2. Colt McCoy
3. B.J. Daniels

There is no question who the starter is at quarterback. Colin Kaepernick feels that he still has not shown the NFL what he is capable of.

Scott Tolzien is the odd man out. He is a big armed quaterback that will fit well into any system that employs a classic drop back passer. The 49ers can surely use the classic drop back, west coast offense but there is more to Greg Roman’s offense than that.

McCoy is a veteran quarterback that actually ran some read option at University of Texas and he was a starter for the Cleveland Browns for a season.

Daniels is a guy that will be heavily relied upon this year as the 49ers face some teams such as the Washington Redskins, Carolina Panthers and Seattle Seahawks. The value that he brings is giving the defense a good look at the read option with the scout team offense. Vincent Frank from Bleacher Report touched on how the 49ers’ defense is equipped to defend the read option.

Running Back:

1. Frank Gore
2. Kendall Hunter
3. LaMichael James

Bruce Miller will be the fullback on this team. He played at a high level and is a pretty good blocking back and will be set for a Pro Bowl kind of season.

Frank Gore will continue to win his battle against father time as he has another productive year with the 49ers. He will be the feature back.

Kendall Hunter is a big play waiting to happen. A lot of people have forgotten about the explosive player due to his injury. He will be relied upon in the screen game and as a change of pace for the rushing attack.

LaMichael James is the wild card at running back. He is the Darren Sproles of the offense. This means that there will be a package of plays that will feature James in favorable matchups against linebackers. He will also be a player in the return game.

Anthony Dixon may make the roster as a special teams player. Marcus Lattimore will be a factor, just not this season. The 49ers will bring him along slowly as he recovers from his severe knee injury in college.

Wide Receiver:

1. Anquan Boldin
2. A.J. Jenkins
3. Mario Manningham
4. Kyle Williams
5. Quinton Patton
6. Ricardo Lockette

Boldin will take over for the injured Michael Crabtree at the Z receiver spot.

The X will be a training camp battle, but I expect Jenkins to earn the spot there. He has already impressed in OTAs and has shown improvement when it comes to knowing the offense.

Manningham will be a guy that will rotate at the X spot but some reports say that he won’t be healthy at the beginning of training camp. Williams is also a question mark due to injury. When healthy, he is a very explosive player.

Patton was a huge value pick in the fourth round. He can play both receiver spots and has the ability to excel at the slot position as well. Patton is a very sure handed receiver that put up pretty big time numbers in college.

Lockette is a former Division II track champion in the 200 meter dash. He has the ability to stretch the field. He has worked out with Kaepernick all summer and will make the roster due to his big play ability.

Tight End:

1. Vernon Davis
2. Vance McDonald
3. Brent Celek

Vernon Davis is one of the best overall tight ends in the NFL. He is a solid blocker and a major mismatch in the passing game. Losing Delanie Walker was something that some thought would hurt the 49ers, but Trent Baalke and company did a great job of securing a replacement in Vance McDonald.

The TE from Rice University was a threat from the slot position and showed the ability to work out of the pistol offense. He actually had two 100 yard rushing games also. At 6’4″ 267 pounds, he has the build to be a factor when it comes to blocking as well. Most importantly, McDonald will be a threat in the red zone. Look for the 49ers to continue to use a lot of 12 personnel this year. Celek will be a reserve player that can step in and play if need be.

Offensive Line:

1. Anthony Davis
2. Alex Boone
3. Jonathan Goodwin
4. Mike Iupati
5. Joe Staley

The 49ers’ offensive line is among the best in the NFL. Iupati and Joe Staley were elected to the All Pro team. Goodwin took a reduction in pay to remain with the 49ers. Davis is making his mark as one of the roughest tackles in the game. Boone is a rare tall player at guard and was a suprise at that position. He did a really good job of converting from the tackle position. Staley is also considered to be one of the most athletic tackles in the NFL. After the starters, there is still depth on the offensive line.

Adam Snyder was brought back from the Arizona Cardinals and he can play all positions on the line. Dan Kilgore will be a backup at the center spot. He is also capable of playing guard. Carter Bykowski and Luke Marquardt are two players that will challenge for a roster spot. Both are very massive men that can be used in a role similar to Leonard Davis in the elephant/jumbo formation on short yardage situations.

Move on to the next page for the defensive depth chart.