San Francisco 49ers NFC West

Mims will now go to work with his third different team in as many years after spending the vast majority of last season on Tennessee's practice squad. While the 49ers' options at running back behind Christian McCaffrey are all unproven, 2025 fifth-rounder Jordan James, rookie third-rounder Kaelon Black and 2024 fourth-rounder Isaac Guerendo (pectoral) are all working with an advantage over Mims in terms of draft capital.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Waitman spent the past two campaigns with Pittsburgh and averaged 46.0 yards per punt during the regular season over that span. He's expected to take over as San Francisco's primary punter as the replacement for Thomas Morstead.

Rucci joined the 49ers' practice squad Jan. 14 but wasn't elevated to the active roster for the NFC divisional-round game against the Seahawks despite the absence of George Kittle (Achilles). Rucci will be on the 49ers' 90-man roster when the offseason officially begins Feb. 9, giving him the opportunity to participate in OTAs and minicamp.

Martinez spent most of the 2025 season on the 49ers' and the Jets' practice squads, taking just one snap with San Francisco in Week 9 against the Giants to execute the game-ending kneel down. It appears the 49ers saw something they liked in Martinez, though, so he'll be staying with them to begin the 2026 league year.

Bergen was the 49ers' seventh-round pick of the 2025 NFL Draft, and he spent his entire rookie season on the practice squad after failing to make the 53-man roster at the end of training camp. By signing a future deal, Bergen will be eligible to participate in offseason programs with the 49ers, including OTAs and minicamp.

Turner spent the entire 2025 season on the 49ers' practice squad after not making the 53-man roster at the end of training camp. He appeared in four games for Niners, including in their NFC wild-card win over the Eagles, when he played four snaps on offense while failing to haul in his lone target. As a member of the 49ers' 90-man roster, Turner will be eligible to participate in OTAs and minicamp, where he'll look to make a good impression on the coaching staff before the start of training camp in July.

Apple caught on with the 49ers on the practice squad after being released during training camp in early August. The veteran corner appeared in two regular-season games for San Francisco, logging one solo tackle while serving mostly on special teams. Under a future contract, Apple will be a member of the 49ers' 90-man roster when the offseason officially starts Feb. 9.