![]() Left guard Aaron Banks, 25, started 19 games last season. The 49ers spent the 20 drafts restocking the guard spots and should enjoy the fruits of that endeavor this season. The question is how effective Jackson, 22, and Beal, 23, will be this season. The 49ers clearly see Bosa, Jackson and Beal as their defensive end rotation for the future. has all the traits defensive line coach Kris Kocurek wants in an edge rusher but seems like a developmental prospect. Still, it remains to be seen if he can handle the lion’s share of the snaps opposite Bosa. Drake Jackson, who lacked stamina and a power move as a rookie, has bulked up over the offseason. Why does the prospect of signing free-agent pass rusher Yannick Ngakoue continue to hold such intrigue for fans and the media? Because while the 49ers have made moves to upgrade the defensive end spot opposite Bosa, the question is whether those moves will pay off this year.Ĭlelin Ferrell was a solid offseason addition, but he doesn’t appear to be an upgrade over last year’s starter, Samson Ebukam. Samuel hit that mark (1,405 yards) in 2021, and Brandon Aiyuk did it (1,015 yards) last season.īrandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel give the 49ers top-end talent, even if there are questions about the depth and future. The 49ers, the franchise that boasts Jerry Rice, Terrell Owens, Billy Wilson and Dwight Clark, didn’t have a 1,000-yard receiver from 2004 to 2011, which might be considered the dark ages for San Francisco’s passing game. There was good buzz about Graham coming out of the spring period. The bottom half of the position is undergoing a sea change this season, and coaches hope one of the youngsters - perhaps Marcelino McCrary-Ball, Dee Winters or Jalen Graham - seizes the opportunity the way then-rookie Al-Shaair did in 2019. That job now falls to Oren Burks or perhaps one of the myriad young players vying for a roster spot. 3 linebacker in previous years, and the unit didn’t miss a beat when he had to come in for Greenlaw or, less often, Warner. The question about the group involves its depth. It’s possible that adding Hargrave also raises their performance. Is there a better starting duo than Warner and Greenlaw? Warner, the majority whip of the 49ers defense, made his second Pro Bowl last season, and the team thought Greenlaw, who had a pair of 15-tackle performances in 2022, should have made his first. Throw in a pair of promising 2022 practice-squadders - Qwuantrezz Knight and Tayler Hawkins - and you understand why this spot ranks No. They also have special teams ace George Odum, who has 10 starts over his career, and Myles Hartsfield, the only defensive back who has played under new coordinator Steve Wilks. Brown looked promising enough this spring that the 49ers are considering using him in occasional three-safety looks this season. The starting safety duo of Gipson and Hufanga is back this season, and the team spent its top NFL Draft pick on a safety, Ji’Ayir Brown. Gipson ended up being much more than that, starting all 20 games and relegating Ward to a nickel role. 22 thinking he could be a nice stand-in at free safety while Jimmie Ward recovered from a hamstring injury. With Javon Hargrave now by his side, Arik Armstead could be even more effective. He had a career-high 10 sacks in his last season next to Buckner but none in nine regular-season games last season (he had two in the playoffs). His presence should have a trickle-down impact on the rest of the defensive linemen, especially Arik Armstead. They might have finally done so with free-agent acquisition Hargrave, who had a career-high 11 sacks last season. The 49ers traded DeForest Buckner after the 2019 season and have been trying to replace him ever since. In short, they have a special combination of talent and depth in the backfield. Heck, the 49ers even have two fullbacks: Juszczyk and Jack Colletto. There’s also Samuel, who has averaged 6.4 yards per carry over his career Tyrion Davis-Price, who might be a more talented runner than Mason and undrafted rookie Khalan Laborn, who ran for 1,513 yards with 16 touchdowns at Marshall last season. That’s largely because 2022 undrafted rookie Jordan Mason was better than expected last season and appears to have improved - especially in the passing game - over the offseason. 2 runner behind starter McCaffrey.īut the position is deep even if Mitchell is on the sideline. The 49ers can’t expect to lean on him as the No. I know, I know - Elijah Mitchell has missed all or part of 22 games due to injury over the past two seasons and was dealing with an undisclosed issue during the recent minicamp. 49ers' 53-man forecast: The backup QB battle and what to do with Jack Colletto 1.
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