The 49ers are not rebuilding. They are resetting. The Niners appeared in four NFC Championships and two Superbowl’s in the span of five years. Two of those playoffs runs started with a Wildcard game. The 49ers played a tremendous amount of football.
The Why.
When you play the game the way the Niners do, injuries will pile up. Last year the bill came due. Not only did the 49ers suffer through injuries to a significant portion of their starting roster, but two players lost infants and one player was shot. Through it all the Niners managed to win six games. Six of the Niners losses were by a margin of six points or less, showing that the Niners were that close to a winning season and another play-off run.
The Niners lost 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns thru the air due to Brandon Aiyuk’s injury*. They also lost Christian McCaffrey’s 1459 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground. Further, the Niners lost McCaffrey’s 564 reception yards and seven touchdown catches. Any offense will regress when you lose 3,365 yards of offense and 23 touchdowns of production from your skill position players. (Aiyuk did acquire 374 reception yards before going down to injury in 2024…but no touchdowns).
The Exodus.
The 49ers are trimming the fat and focusing on developing new talent. While the Niners have made several free agent signings as well as cuts, I will not comment on all of them here.
Deebo Samuel had regressed over the last few years. He was never a polished route runner. The one time he demanded the ball, the following week he managed to execute eleven drops. Deebo is fun to have on the roster. Unfortunately, he is a highly over paid player whose contributions are limited by his attitude and his work ethic.
The 49ers chose not to resign Aaron Banks. He has a decent upside but struggled to stay on the field consistently. Rated the top guard in free agency, he was at the right place at the right time to nail a 77 million dollar contract from the Packers.
Javon Hargrave and Maliek Collin’s production did not add up to their price tag. Leonard Floyd graded out as the worst defensive lineman on the roster despite securing 8.5 sacks. He is a situational pass rusher, lacking the ability to properly set the edge against the run. Dre Greenlaw is an often-injured player. There is no denying his superb talent, but the Niners have decided they can’t afford to keep injured talent on the roster. The same analysis applies to Talanoa Hufanga.
Jordan Mason is an outstanding power runner. However, he is not a significant contributor to the pass game. Securing two draft picks for an undrafted free agent with limitations is an excellent transaction. Finally, letting the mouthy Taybor Pepper go will only help the locker room and the sideline.
The Additions.
The Niners acquisitions will likely fly under the radar. Several notable names do hit the roster though. Mac Jones, Demarcus Robinson, Richie Grant and special teams ace Luke Gifford are likely to be underrated signings. Expect all four to make the final 53 and contribute this season.
The Niners also resigned Kyle Juszczyk after releasing him a few days ago. The Niners ended up clearing a bit of cap space by allowing him to test free agency. They also likely realized that he is a key cog in the development of Brock Purdy as well as an important teammate.
Roster Analysis.
The Niners resigned a few key players, and added some depth at defensive back and both lines. When looking at the roster, the Niners are sitting in a better position than most pundits realize despite losing 320 million in free agents. They are set at wide receiver, tight end and running back. Their offensive line has one missing piece at guard.
On defense their secondary, while young, is highly talented and surprisingly experienced. The Niners edge rushers are in good shape so long as Drake Jackson can come back healthy and ready to go. Jackson is supremely talented. Hopefully he can stay on the field this year. Finally, the linebacking corps will get a boost from Robert Saleh’s coaching and Fred Warners consistency.
Draft Predictions
The 49ers will look to bolster their offensive and defensive line. This draft is deep at defensive line and running back so it’s safe to say they will nab players at both positions. Here is the order of merit I think the Niners may follow:
- Playmaker on Offense – this could come in the form of Tight End Tyler Warren.
- Trench Monsters – Offensive and Defensive line.
- Running Back – The Niners could take two in this draft.
- Best Defensive players available after they have secured talent for the defensive tackle position.
I believe the Niners will take multiple running backs this draft because I predict Isaac Guerendo will replace Deebo’s role in the Kyle Shanahan offense. Guerendo started his college career at wide receiver and it shows in his route running and pass catching abilities.
On defense the Niners will prioritize defensive line and then look to take the best player available.
If the Niners don’t take a playmaker on offense initially, I would look for them to take a tight end during the second or third round as this seems to be a deep class at that position this year. Finally, don’t be surprised if the Niners opt to trade back because they don’t see the value in a particular player at eleven. They are just as likely to move up as well.
