State Of The League: San Francisco 49ers

Training camp and the NFL preseason are here! We are going over all 32 teams’ offseason moves, division by division: their player personnel changes, projected preseason depth charts, and more! Then, moving along in the NFC West, we look in on the San Francisco 49ers!

San Francisco 49ers Preseason Projected Depth Chart

*BOLD player name = Rookie*

San Francisco 49ers 2021 NFL Draft Class

Round 1 (3rd overall): QB Trey Lance, North Dakota State

Round 2 (48th): OG Aaron Banks, Notre Dame

Round 3 (88th): RB Trey Sermon, Ohio State

Round 3 (102nd): CB Ambry Thomas, Michigan

Round 5 (155th): OT Jaylon Moore, Western Michigan

Round 5 (172nd): CB Deommodore Lenoir, Oregon

Round 5 (180th): S Talanoa Hufanga, USC

Round 6 (194th): RB Elijah Mitchell, Louisiana

San Francisco 49ers Offseason Player Personnel Moves

San Francisco 49ers Offseason Notes/Review

• Defensive coordinator Robert Saleh left the San Francisco 49ers this offseason to be the head coach of the New York Jets. He took 49ers passing game coordinator Mike LaFleur with him to be his offensive coordinator in New York. In their place, the 49ers hired from within promoted run game coordinator Mike McDaniel to offensive coordinator (the 1st assistant coach to hold that title under head coach Kyle Shanahan) and linebackers coach DeMeco Ryans defensive coordinator. The offense won’t change much, if at all, as Shanahan will still be calling plays, but McDaniel will still have a big role in the game-planning week to week. Ryans will call the defense, and there might be some slight tweaks in the game plan compared to when Saleh ran the defense, but there won’t be major changes on that side of the ball either. 
• The 49ers didn’t spend big in free agency, but signing Alex Mack to a three-year deal should pay off immediately, as there was a huge need at center coming into the offseason. Though Mack is rather seasoned (36 years old in November), he has been one of the best at his position in the NFL over the course of his career and missed only two games while playing in Atlanta the last five years. 
• The offensive line was a point of emphasis this offseason. The team re-signed Trent Williams to a massive six-year deal that makes him the highest-paid left tackle in the NFL – a questionable decision based on his age and injury concerns, but a necessary move to keep the line in good shape. In addition, they brought in Mack and Senio Kelemete as free agents, re-signed Tom Compton and Daniel Brunskill, and selected Aaron Banks and Jaylon Moore in the NFL Draft. Williams and Mack are locks to start. Brunskill is the current favorite to start at right guard. The rest are competing for backup roles, as the team looked to beef up the depth upfront. 
• This offseason, the big story for the San Francisco 49ers was the trade-up they did before the NFL Draft to move up to number three overall. Everyone knew they were trading up for a quarterback; the question was: which one? After Trevor Lawrence and Zach Wilson, Justin Fields, Trey Lance, and Mac Jones were the top options left. The rumors pointed at it coming down to Jones or Lance, and on draft night, the 49ers opted to go with the raw/big arm/athletic Lance. The questions surrounding Lance were legitimate – small school, lower level of competition, only 17 starts in his college career (including just one start in 2020 due to Covid opt-out), but the physical talent is undeniable. Jimmy G might be the starter this season, but Lance will get playing time in sub packages and might even push Garoppolo as the season goes on if the passing game struggles.
• Injuries devastated this roster last season, as several starters spent significant time on the sideline. The list includes Garoppolo, George Kittle, Nick Bosa, Deebo Samuel, Trent Williams, Raheem Mostert, Dee Ford, Jaquiski Tartt, K’Waun Williams, and other key backups/rotational players as well. This is a talented team with a solid ground game, an excellent defensive front, and upper echelon coaching; all the ingredients to make a push for a division crown and more. Having an easy schedule outside of the division helps, but this team won’t go anywhere if they suffer the same injury woes of last season, or Jimmy G can’t take this team to the next level.