ESPN gathered three of its Insiders and had them rank all 32 NFL teams based on what shape the franchise will be in over the next three seasons. They call the annual list their
NFL Future Power Rankings.
Louis Riddick, who was briefly a candidate for the San Francisco 49ers' general manager job, Mike Sando, and Field Yates were the
ESPN Insiders evaluating the teams.
The team rankings were determined based on the following categories and scoring weight:
- Roster, excluding quarterback (30 percent)
- Quarterback (20 percent)
- Draft (15 percent)
- Front office (15 percent)
- Coaching (20 percent)
The media has mostly raved about the 49ers' offseason thus far. The moves and players selected in the 2017 NFL Draft have garnered high grades from analysts. The pairing of new general manager John Lynch and new head coach Kyle Shanahan has been seen as successful and a foundation for the future of the franchise.
However, there are still a lot of things to prove and nothing is certain. While the franchise looks to be headed in the right direction, the 49ers didn't rank well within the
ESPN NFL Future Power Rankings. The 49ers scored an overall score of 67.7, which was good enough for 30th within the ranking.
The team's highest score was earned for coaching, while its lowest, unsurprisingly, was for the quarterbacks. San Francisco ranked 16th for coaching, 19th for the draft, tied for 21st for the front office, 29th for quarterbacks, and 30th for the roster. While the roster ranked lowest, as mentioned, it was the quarterback category that actually scored lower.
In 2013, the 49ers ranked first in the annual ranking with a score of 87.5. Yates explained that lack of stability was the primary factor in the 49ers' placement within the current ranking. The team has hired three new head coaches in as many years and is transitioning to a new general manager.
"With John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan now in control, organizational harmony is atop the list of keys to success," writes Yates.
Riddick, the former 49ers general manager candidate, lists quarterback as the team's biggest concern. He views Brian Hoyer and Matt Barkley only as good backups and does not see rookie C.J. Beathard as an NFL starter. He is not as critical of other positions on the team.
"I like how this team is being built, but QB remains a major concern," writes Riddick.
Sando also discusses the quarterback situation, saying that the 49ers have a realistic shot at drafting one of the highly regarded quarterbacks in the strong 2018 draft class. Until then, Hoyer and company will not help the 49ers' case to be listed higher in the ranking.
"Big QB changes are coming in the next year or so, however," Sando writes. "The outlook will improve."
There remains a possibility that the 49ers might acquire Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins in 2018 should he and his current team not come to an agreement on a long-term contract by July 17th. That would put Cousins on course to become a free agent in 2018.
If Cousins is not a possibility, the 49ers will have numerous options from a 2018 NFL Draft class that includes prospects like Sam Darnold of USC, Josh Rosen of UCLA, Josh Allen of Wyoming, and others.
Matt Miller, a longtime San Francisco 49ers fan and ESPN analyst, recently conducted a mock draft using ESPN Analytics' mock draft simulator. Proud of his projections, Miller shared the results on social media.
Basically DOMINATED this mock draft for the 49ers.https://t.co/j7ag09VRAY pic.twitter.com/COOE0M1eku— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) April
Cam Inman of Bay Area News Group caught up with Brock Purdy over the weekend as the San Francisco 49ers quarterback hosted his inaugural youth football camp at Levi's Stadium. Today, Purdy and most of his teammates will report to the team for the start of the offseason program, which will be limited to meetings, strength and conditioning, and physical rehabilitation over the next couple of weeks.
While this offseason holds significance for Purdy as he seeks to build upon an impressive 2023 campaign that saw him set a single-season franchise
While it would be foolish to declare that the San Francisco 49ers lack any deficiencies, the team remains one of the most talented rosters in the NFL. That alone is enough to place them high on media power rankings.
The truth is, power rankings mean very little at this stage in the offseason. Yes, free agency has come and gone, but NFL rosters are about to undergo further changes this week, with the 2024 NFL Draft slated for Thursday.
Pro Football Focus' Amelia Probst posted a power ranking based on the analytics site's data on each roster and the offseason roster moves made so far. The San Francisco 49ers came in at No. 2, behind only the Kansas City
ESPN insider Adam Schefter recently shared his insights on the situation surrounding San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk during an appearance on the network's "NFL Live" show. Schefter clarified that while Aiyuk would like to remain with the 49ers, his priority is securing a contract that reflects his value, regardless of the team.
When questioned about Aiyuk's desire to stay with the team that selected him in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, Schefter responded, "Well, I think his desire to get paid is greater than his desire to stay in San Francisco, wherever that is. If the 49ers want to pay him, I'm sure he'd love to stay in San Francisco. If another team would like to pay him, I'm sure he'd like to go
