The 49ers have officially signed 16 players to their practice squad, confirming the identities of the players who will provide support to the 53-man roster of a team that has regularly been hit by injuries the Kyle Shanahan era.

San Francisco can carry 17 players on the practice squad as Alfredo Gutierrez carries an exemption as part of the International Player Pathway Program.

General manager John Lynch confirmed in a press conference on Wednesday that the 17th player is former Packers fifth-round pick Shemar Jean-Charles, the cornerback adding to their depth in the secondary after the Niners failed to get an intended practice squad candidate through waivers.

Here's the 2023 49ers practice squad:

• DL Alex Barrett
• FB Jack Colletto
• WR Chris Conley
• DL Marlon Davidson
• TE Troy Fumagalli
• OL Alfredo Gutierrez (International Player Pathway)
• RB Brian Hill
• CB Qwuantrezz Knight
• OL Corey Luciano
• WR Tay Martin
• DL T.Y. McGill
• LB Curtis Robinson
• WR Willie Snead IV
• CB Tre Swilling
• OL Leroy Watson IV
• WR Isaiah Winstead
• CB Shemar Jean-Charles

The odds are the 49ers will need to lean on at least some of these players at various points in the 2023 season, so let's look at some of the key takeaways from the practice squad.

Jean-Charles fills Jamison void

The 49ers were hopeful of sneaking rookie undrafted free agent D'Shawn Jamison onto the practice squad, but he was snapped up by the Panthers, who signed him to their 53-man roster.

His replacement is Jean-Charles, who offers some versatility and special teams upside that the 49ers lost when Jamison departed.

Lynch said of Jean-Charles:

"Again a guy who's got some traits. I think outside inside versatility, plays some nickel, plays some outside, has some speed, and a very good special team player. And when you’re going to be vying to be a flex or be developed, that special team’s value is really huge. And we felt like our pro guys did a real good job of identifying him and then selling him on our opportunity."

Kicker incoming

One player on the practice squad is set to lose his spot, with the 49ers confirming they will add a kicker to the mix as rookie third-round pick Jake Moody deals with a quad strain.

The 49ers appear confident they won't need to call on the kicker they bring in, Lynch revealing Moody is "tracking well" for the season opener in Pittsburgh.

UPDATE: The 49ers, per ESPN's Adam Schefter, signed kicker Matthew Wright to the practice squad. No corresponding move has been reported.

Light on O-Line

The 49ers gambled with a couple of offensive linemen who impressed in preseason, attempting to stash them on the practice squad rather than sign them to the 53, and lost out as both tackle Ilm Manning and versatile interior lineman Keith Ismael were signed by the Cardinals.

As a result, the 49ers' practice squad is lacking at offensive line. Corey Luciano is essentially the fourth-string center, with Jon Feliciano and Nick Zakelj having the ability to play guard and center, while Leroy Watson is an intriguing developmental tackle who used his physical traits well in preseason. Gutierrez did not play in preseason.

Heavy on receivers

As we forecast in our practice squad prediction, the 49ers kept four wide receivers.

Two could be on the active roster in Week 1, as Danny Gray is on short-term injured reserve and Ray-Ray McCloud has a wrist injury. The kick-return specialist has an "outside chance" for the opener, according to Shanahan.

Chris Conley and Willie Snead IV would be the favorites to step up. Winstead has upside as a long-term stash having run impressive routes during the preseason.

Strength in defensive tackle depth

While the 49ers failed to get the likes of Jamison and Manning on the practice squad, they will have been thrilled to use it to keep two more interior defensive linemen around.

T.Y. McGill and Marlon Davidson each excelled in preseason and recorded a sack apiece. McGill was particularly disruptive, posting a pass rush win rate of 12.1 percent, according to Pro Football Focus. He had two quarterback hits to go with his sack.

Both McGill and former Falcons second-round pick Davidson, who displayed an excellent motor during the exhibition season, figure to be near the front of the queue for promotions to the active roster. Having surprisingly kept both around, interior defensive line depth looks to be an area of significant strength for San Francisco.

Alex Barrett was the only edge rusher signed to the practice squad, with the 49ers' suffering from a glaring lack of depth at that spot compared to the interior.

49ers’ fast-starting rookie will have to play the waiting game

He’ll watch the first four games from the sideline.

Featured Image Credit: Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports