The San Francisco 49ers had a down year in 2024, but plenty of prognosticators expect them to rebound and contend for the division, the conference, and even the Super Bowl. What are the biggest questions they’ll need to answer on that road?
Is the 49ers’ secondary ready to make a run?
Both Malik Mustapha and Ji’Ayir Brown are young with the potential to develop into a high-end safety duo. Renardo Green looks like a round-two hit from last year, and the team paid Deommodore Lenoir after he exceeded expectations.
However, Lenoir has played his best football in the slot, and the team still has questions on the outside opposite Green. They signed Tre Brown, but he has missed significant time in three of four seasons and has mostly been a rotational player. Upton Stout was drafted but profiles best in the slot, and Richie Grant is a safety but has played the slot in bigger dime looks. Does this signal that Lenoir will play more outside, and is that what’s best?
Is the defensive line too young?
The 49ers have traditionally made their Super Bowl runs behind dominant defensive line play, so it’s no surprise they invested three draft picks along the front and added Bryce Huff in a trade. The concern is whether the group can come together quickly enough, given how young it is.
While Alfred Collins, CJ West, and Mykel Williams are rookies, all three offer high floors as run defenders. Huff, though coming off a down year, is back with Robert Saleh and will primarily be used as a pass rusher. If the rookies develop quickly and Huff returns to 2023 form, the plan may come together, but there are a lot of moving parts.
Should the 49ers have done more on the offensive line?
It made sense to keep feeding the defensive line in the draft, but the 49ers had chances to add to the offensive line and passed, opting instead to rely on homegrown depth. They didn’t replace Aaron Banks and are hoping for a breakout from someone they’ve previously not trusted. Jake Brendel and Colton McKivitz have been serviceable at times, but both spots were upgradeable. The team still leans heavily on Trent Williams, who is aging and missed time last season. Could this be their biggest regret?
Is Ricky Pearsall ready to take a step?
The 49ers traded Deebo Samuel, a move that became expected the moment they drafted Ricky Pearsall a year prior. It was clear that Pearsall would take a year to get integrated, and an offseason incident that left him robbed and shot did not help his development.
Still, recent top-50 picks who failed to hit 500 receiving yards as rookies include Quentin Johnston, Jonathan Mingo, Treylon Burks, Tyquan Thornton, Wan’Dale Robinson, John Metchie, Jameson Williams, Rondale Moore, Kadarius Toney, KJ Hamler, Henry Ruggs, Jalen Reagor, and N’Keal Harry. Williams managed a solid season, but generally, wideouts who don’t flash early tend to struggle long-term. Pearsall’s 1.31 yards per route run suggests the issue wasn’t just playing time. Can time in the offense and time to recover lead to a breakout?
