Ranking Most Important 49ers in 2026: No. 85-84

Training is just around the corner.

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The San Francisco 49ers are in the long break between the start of training camp and the end of OTAs. There is not much roster movement, so it is a good time to review the 90-man roster. This roster ranking will go through the most important players for the 49ers' 2026 season. The last post left off at number 86. 

San Francisco 49ers Roster Ranking No. 85-84

85. Eli Apple, CB

Apple has two things going for it entering training camp. First, he is a former first-round pick. Second, he spent the entire 2025 season on the 49ers practice squad and was even a gameday elevation for three weeks. 

The issue is that Apple was drafted all the way back in 2016, and the last time that he got a legitimate look as a starter was in 2022. Beyond that, the 49ers have a new defensive coordinator, and his plan this offseason was to add new faces to the room. 

Ephesians Prysock, Jack Jones, and Nate Hobbs will all slot in as depth ahead of Apple this year. The team hardly lost anyone, as well, so Apple is just buried now. In a best-case scenario, he makes the practice squad again. 

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84. Malik Turner, WR

Turner is another veteran with familiarity to the 49ers, so it is hard to put him too low. However, he is also in a room that just got entirely too crowded, so his odds of making the roster are low. Turner spent the past two years with the 49ers. 

In 2024, he was released on an injury settlement after an offseason injury. In 2025, he was stuck on the practice squad and was called up a few times due to depth issues. Turner appeared in three games, but had just one target. 

Now, the issue with him making the team is the depth around him at wide receiver. They added Mike Evans, Christian Kirk, and De’Zhaun Stribling to ensure they do not run out of depth options this year. They are also expecting Junior Bergen, Jordan Watkins, and Jacob Cowing to be healthy. 

Rookie UDFAs Will Pauling and Wesley Grimes should be higher than Turner on this list because if either of them sticks around and makes an impact, they bring more potential than a 30-year-old veteran who has shown to be unproductive. So, the only way that Turner sticks around in 2026 will be a room that falls apart this summer, which 49ers fans do not want.