The San Francisco 49ers continue to be a team to watch in the NFC and have some tough decisions to make when trimming their roster to 53 players
Last year, the San Francisco 49ers were just a couple of plays away from making it to the Super Bowl for the second time in the Kyle Shanahan era. In fact, they may have been just one play away as a dropped ball that would have been an interception by Jaquiski Tartt would have stopped the Los Angeles Rams dead in their tracks.
Looking ahead to the 2022 season, the Niners are hopeful they will get another crack at the big game — and they have a shot thanks to their talented roster. Here, we look at their current makeup and pick three players who might not be able to crack the top 53 this year.
49ers cut candidate No. 3: Maurice Hurst, DT
Maurice Hurst was a standout for the Michigan Wolverines but a heart condition damaged his draft stock in 2018. The Las Vegas Raiders (who were still in Oakland at the time) ended up taking him in Round 5 and he proved right away to be worth the pick.
Hurst had four sacks as a rookie and another 3.5 in his second season. However, his usage continued to slip and before the 2021 season, he was waived by the Raiders. He then landed with the Niners but due to an injury, he played in just two games all season.
He did re-sign with San Franciso in March but there’s no guarantee he makes the team. Right now, the defensive tackle group consists of Javon Kinlaw, Arik Armstead, and Hassan Ridgeway. There’s also Kerry Hyder, Jr. and Charles Omenihu on the team and they can both play defensive end and defensive tackle.
With all those options, Hurst could find himself on the outside looking in when cuts are made.