The San Francisco 49ers surprised the football world last season by making it all the way to the NFC Championship Game. They actually held a lead late in the fourth quarter against the eventual Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams. But it was not meant to be as Matthew Stafford and company scored late and Jimmy Garoppolo was unable to answer.

That game came on the heels of two huge upsets of the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers. Kyle Shanahan and his 49ers coaching staff had his team prepared in each game. However, it became quite obvious that they needed an upgrade at quarterback. This season, they are handing the reigns of the offense over to Trey Lance. Despite all of the speculation, San Francisco did not trade Garoppolo. Instead, they re-signed him to a one-year deal on Monday.

That was a very wise decision by the franchise. Otherwise, the quarterback position would have found itself on this list. Instead, we will pivot and take at look at the other three positions that the 49ers still need to improve after the 53-man roster cuts.

The 3 Roster Positions the 49ers Must Still Improve Following 53-man Roster Cuts

3. Safety

As it stands, the 49ers are starting Talanoa Hufanga at strong safety to begin the year. San Francisco used a fifth round pick on Hufanga in the 2021 NFL Draft. He was highly touted initially coming out of USC but fell in the draft. During his rookie season, the 49ers safety played in 15 games, but on a limited snap count.

He produced 32 tackles, 24 of them solo, with two passes defensed. It's certainly not terrible numbers for a part-time player on a good defense. But for him to be starting the following season with not much depth behind him is a reason for concern.

Plus, Pro Bowl free safety Jimmie Ward is going to miss the first four games of the season.

Ward is the only experienced, productive player from their secondary group. He suffered a hamstring injury and is going to be placed on injured reserve, costing him at least four games.

The first couple weeks of the season, it might not rear its ugly head. The 49ers play the Chicago Bears and the Seattle Seahawks, two of the worst passing games in the NFL. However, the next two weeks they play the Denver Broncos and the Los Angeles Rams.

It would be strongly advisable to add some depth at safety before the season kicks off.

2. Cornerback

The 49ers addressed a big need at cornerback when they doled out a three-year, $40 million contract for CB Charvarius Ward. He was one of the better players on the Kansas City Chiefs defense the last few years. He is entering his prime and should be a solid addition in San Francisco.

Ward got nicked up earlier in training camp but made his return to practice a few days ago.

Article Continues Below
More San Francisco 49ers News
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium.
ESPN gives 49ers, Bears, Patriots best chance of biggest turnaroundDouglas Fritz ·
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan, right, confers with defensive coordinator Robert Saleh during the teamís rookie minicamp.
49ers rumors: How World Cup could cost San Francisco $37 millionJackson Stone ·
NFC defensive end Nick Bosa of the San Francisco 49ers (left) with brother and AFC linebacker Joey Bosa during the Pro Bowl Skills Challenge at Nicholson Fieldhouse
How long 49ers’ Nick Bosa thought Joey Bosa would team up with himJaren Kawada ·
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (23) runs with the ball against Buffalo Bills cornerback Taron Johnson (7)during the first half at Highmark Stadium.
Insider gives ‘bouncy’ Christian McCaffrey, 49ers updateLorenzo J Reyna ·
San Francisco 49ers offensive tackle Trent Williams (71) blocks Seattle Seahawks defensive end Leonard Williams (99) in the third quarter at Levi's Stadium.
Trent Williams’ on field return will have 49ers fans hypedLorenzo J Reyna ·
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan next to a silhouette of an American football player with a big question mark emoji inside. There is also a logo for the San Francisco 49ers.
Rising San Francisco 49ers rookie turning heads in 2025 OTAsBen Strauss ·

However, more needs to be done at the position. Emmanuel Moseley played pretty well last season, earning a 69.1 PFF grade. But he was inconsistent at times and allowed a number of big plays. Plus, the 49ers slot cornerback from last season, K'Waun Williams, left for the Broncos in free agency.

That's a hole that has not really been filled. With more and more offenses around the NFL using three-wide sets, having a reliable slot corner is pivotal. That's particularly true when they play the division rival Rams.

1. Wide Receiver

The most obvious hole that the team is seemingly ignoring is at wide receiver.

Yes, they finally got a deal done to bring All-Pro wideout Deebo Samuel back. Could you imagine what this wide receiver room would look like if they hadn't?

Trey Lance and Brandon Aiyuk have reportedly been having a great camp getting on the same page. But this is the NFL, you need more than two reliable wide receivers.

Currently, there are five receivers total on the 49ers depth chart. Beyond Samuel and Aiyuk are Jauan Jennings, Danny Gray and Ray-Ray McLeod III.

Last season, the 49ers offense with primarily just Samuel and Aiyuk exploded. But much of that had to do with Deebo being used as a running back, making things difficult on opposing defenses. All signs this year point to him going back to being used a solely a wide receiver with maybe a couple carries sprinkled in.

That is going to put a lot of pressure on Lance to be accurate with the football. That is something he struggled with as a rookie and has continued this preseason.

There is little doubt that the 49ers roster is very talented. But they are thin in the secondary and at wideout. They are clear positions that need some help prior to the season kicking off.