Rookie Ricky Pearsall adds burst and hands made for third downs, while Jauan Jennings returns as the emotional anchor, a chain-mover with unteachable grit.
If there’s one question, it’s durability — both Deebo and Aiyuk have battled lingering soft-tissue strains. But when healthy, no group complements motion offense better.
Overall: A- — explosive, physical, selfless. The prototype for modern balance.
Tight Ends — Grade: A
George Kittle has entered his elder statesman era, but don’t mistake maturity for decline.
Still an All-Pro blocker and top-three receiving threat, Kittle’s leadership carries the tone of the entire offense — joyful violence. His chemistry with Purdy borders on telepathic; his body control remains ridiculous for his size.
Behind him, Cameron Latu and Brayden Willis provide youthful rotational value, with Latu flashing improved route polish in camp. Shanahan’s offense thrives on 12-personnel unpredictability, and the depth here finally matches his vision.
Kittle’s health will always be monitored — he plays like every snap is a dare — but when available, he changes geometry.
Overall: A — veteran excellence surrounded by emerging talent, still the emotional engine.
Offensive Line — Grade: B-
If there’s one shadow over this team’s brilliance, it’s protection.
Trent Williams continues to operate as football’s equivalent of a black hole — nothing escapes him. Even at 36, he dominates edge rushers with absurd leverage and footwork. But the question is sustainability.
Right tackle remains volatile: Colton McKivitz has heart but lacks elite lateral quickness, and the 49ers still flirted with upgrades in free agency. The interior — Aaron Banks, Jake Brendel, and Spencer Burford — is solid but inconsistent. Pressure through the A-gaps plagued Purdy late last season, particularly against aggressive blitz looks.
Depth additions like Ben Bartch and rookie Dominick Puni help, but this line’s performance may define the season’s ceiling.
Overall: B- — anchored by greatness, weakened by uncertainty.
Defensive Line — Grade: A-
If offense is art, the 49ers’ defensive front is warfare.
At the center of it all: Nick Bosa, a relentless technician who bends reality as much as he bends edges. His power, timing, and first-step precision remain unmatched.
The offseason brought reinforcements — Leonard Floyd, the veteran pass rusher who gives Bosa breathing space, and Maliek Collins, an interior disruptor replacing the departed Arik Armstead. Javon Hargrave remains the anchor inside, his bull rush still collapsing pockets like falling walls.
The rotation runs deep: Drake Jackson finally matured into a situational weapon, and Kalia Davis shows signs of becoming the next unsung breakout.
Still, Armstead’s leadership will be missed, and the run defense occasionally leaks in wide zones. But the pass rush remains elite enough to tilt games.
Overall: A- — violent, deep, capable of dictating game tempo.
Linebackers — Grade: A+
There’s no debate here. This is football’s model unit.
Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw operate on instinctual wavelengths few duos ever achieve. Warner’s coverage range continues to redefine what a middle linebacker can be — he doesn’t just drop back; he erases. His pre-snap communication is essentially a second defensive coordinator.
Greenlaw, fiery and feral, brings thunder to Warner’s lightning. His sideline-to-sideline bursts and tackling angles set the tone for physical dominance. When he missed time last year, the defense’s emotional temperature dropped.
Depth behind them — Oren Burks, Marcelino McCrary-Ball — provides capable rotation but little star power. Still, with Warner healthy, the group’s synergy is unmatched.
Overall: A+ — leadership, precision, violence, and unity in perfect balance.
Cornerbacks — Grade: B
For all their defensive dominance, the 49ers’ secondary remains a delicate ecosystem.
Charvarius Ward is a legitimate CB1 — physical, technically refined, reliable against top receivers. His 2024 campaign saw a career-high in pass breakups and a growing reputation for shutdown stretches.
Opposite him, Deommodore Lenoir provides scrappy reliability, though he occasionally bites on double moves. Slot corner Isaiah Oliver was inconsistent, leading to developmental reps for Renardo Green, a promising rookie with fearless instincts.
Shanahan’s staff continues to emphasize scheme protection — zone shells, disguised rotations — to mask depth limitations. Still, in one-on-one isolation, elite receivers can exploit them.
Overall: B — solid, disciplined, but lacking top-end speed depth.
Safeties — Grade: B+
The back end of the 49ers’ defense thrives on chemistry.
Talanoa Hufanga is its heartbeat — instinctive, aggressive, occasionally overzealous. His ACL recovery dominated offseason chatter, but early camp glimpses show he’s regaining his burst and confidence.
Veteran Tashaun Gipson Sr. returns for one more season of savvy leadership, balancing Hufanga’s risk-taking with experience. Meanwhile, Ji’Ayir Brown, the young safety drafted out of Penn State, might be the quiet x-factor — his range and tackling precision earned trust late last year.
Depth remains decent, though untested. The safety tandem’s ceiling depends on Hufanga’s health; their floor remains stabilized by communication.
Overall: B+ — instinct and intelligence, with durability the only caveat.
Special Teams — Grade: B+
The 49ers’ attention to detail extends beyond the offense and defense.
Kicker Jake Moody silenced early doubts with improved consistency from distance, hitting 90% in the final ten weeks. Punter Mitch Wishnowsky remains a field-position magician, while Ray-Ray McCloud and Ronnie Bell handle returns with fearlessness, if not explosiveness.
Coverage units were excellent down the stretch, particularly in containing explosive returners. Special teams coordinator Brian Schneider deserves credit for disciplined lanes and tackling fundamentals.
Overall: B+ — efficient, mistake-free, but waiting for one true game-changing spark.
Coaching — Grade: A
Few minds in football orchestrate symphonies like Kyle Shanahan.
His motion concepts, sequencing, and manipulation of defensive rules remain textbook brilliance. He doesn’t just call plays — he designs inevitability. Yet his evolution this offseason may be even more important.
After years of playoff heartbreak, Shanahan is leaning into adaptability — handing greater autonomy to defensive staff, adding situational aggressiveness, and diversifying offensive tempo.
The arrival of new defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen (following Steve Wilks’ departure) introduces fresh schematic wrinkles: more hybrid fronts, disguised pressures, and safety-driven flexibility. Early reviews from players? “He lets us hunt.”
The 49ers’ biggest coaching test isn’t creativity — it’s closure. The question haunting Shanahan: can genius finally finish the job?
Overall: A — visionary leadership sharpened by painful lessons.
Front Office & Depth — Grade: A-
John Lynch and Paraag Marathe have mastered roster equilibrium — star talent supported by budget-smart depth. The drafting of Pearsall, Brown, and Davis shows balance between immediate utility and long-term succession planning.
Cap management remains a quiet art: contracts for Warner, Bosa, and Kittle structured to preserve flexibility, while McCaffrey’s recent extension proved both loyalty and leverage.
The lone critique? Right tackle remains under-addressed, and long-term quarterback insurance still feels thin. But few front offices operate with this much alignment between vision and execution.
Overall: A- — sustainable excellence through foresight and chemistry.
XVI. The Intangibles: Brotherhood, Memory, and the Need to Finish
Walk through the 49ers’ facility, and you’ll sense it — a blend of hunger and hurt.
Every locker holds echoes of “almost.” Warner’s leadership speeches end with three words: “We were close.” Purdy’s offseason interviews sound like therapy sessions wrapped in humility. Shanahan’s tone has shifted from defiance to quiet determination.
