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The San Francisco 49ers' rebuild is complete, and it culminated in a Super Bowl run during head coach Kyle Shanahan's and general manager John Lynch's third season in charge. Now, it's a matter of remaining one of the league's top teams and tweaking the roster enough to finally come away with that elusive sixth championship that the franchise craves.
With the 49ers enjoying much more depth than in previous years, newcomers, like wide receiver Travis Benjamin, will have to work even harder to secure a roster spot. Yes, San Francisco lost Emmanuel Sanders and Marquise Goodwin, but it added first-round draft pick
Brandon Aiyuk. The team also hopes to get contributions from two receivers returning from injuries —
Trent Taylor and Jalen Hurd.
With a roster as deep as the 49ers', no one will be given anything. Benjamin knows that.
"Before I even got off the phone (with the 49ers), we knew on both sides that I was coming in to compete," Benjamin told reporters via a video conference call on Wednesday. "Nothing is given. Everything is earned. And that receiver room, each and every player knows that.
"The first day we met, (receivers coach) Wes (Welker) told every player that since we've got a lot of guys, we've got a first-round pick (in Aiyuk), we've got a couple of guys coming in, this room is going to compete.
"That's what makes this receiving room so much better—that everyone knows they're competing and everyone's helping each other out."
San Francisco, in March, signed Benjamin to a one-year deal. He spent his previous four seasons with the Chargers, both in San Diego and Los Angeles. Before that, he was in Cleveland for four years, with one season (2014) under then-offensive coordinator Shanahan.
"It gives me a slight edge because I know what to expect," Benjamin said. "I know what situation Kyle likes in his offense, and the tempo. He wants to move the ball, the situation the receiver sets. Kyle, the type of player he wants, a guy to just learn and play each position out there."
Benjamin added that he knows Shanahan loves fast receivers and feels he brings a great deal of speed to the position.
The 49ers' offensive system isn't foreign to Benjamin, and he recognizes much of it from his time in Cleveland. The names of plays and routes may have evolved, but it's definitely familiar.
Benjamin was very honest in sharing why he decided to sign with San Francisco. The team's success last season may have influenced that decision.
"I'm getting up in age," Benjamin said, "and up in years playing football, and I just want to win. That's what brought me to the organization."
Trevor Sikkema of Pro Football Focus unveiled a seven-round mock draft for the San Francisco 49ers, addressing several key needs for the team in the 10-pick projection. Interestingly, the mock draft sees the team adding two legacy players. But before delving into that, let's examine the first three selections.
Sikkema has the 49ers shoring up their offensive line at pick No. 31 with the selection of former Arizona offensive tackle Jordan Morgan.
Morgan allowed 14 pressures and two sacks in his 477 pass-blocking snaps at left tackle in 2023. He earned an impressive pass-blocking grade of 87.3 and an overall grade of
NFL Media analyst Daniel Jeremiah unveiled his fourth and final mock draft, projecting the San Francisco 49ers to select Texas wide receiver Xavier Worthy with the No. 31 overall pick.
While many anticipated the 49ers bolstering their offensive line in the first round, Jeremiah's choice may raise eyebrows. However, with seven offensive tackles already off the board, he opted to provide third-year quarterback Brock Purdy with another explosive target.
"This is my favorite fit in the first round," Jeremiah explained. "We saw what Tank Dell did in a similar offensive system with Houston, and we know what Mike McDaniel has been able to build with so much
With only nine days remaining until the start of the 2024 NFL Draft, Good Morning Football's Peter Schrager revealed his first mock draft of the year. While most might expect the San Francisco 49ers to target an offensive lineman, Schrager has the team bolstering its wide receiver corps with an SEC talent.
Schrager has the 49ers using the No. 31 overall pick to select former Georgia wide receiver Ladd McConkey, whose 2023 campaign with the Bulldogs was limited by back and ankle injuries.
"McConkey in the first round? Yes," Schrager wrote. "Above guys like Troy Franklin and Keon Coleman? Perhaps. I've spoken to a
Since entering the NFL, Brock Purdy has faced his fair share of critics. The San Francisco 49ers made him the last overall pick in 2022, thrusting him into the starting role during his rookie season only due to two quarterback injuries.
Purdy then led the 49ers to the NFC Championship Game. He followed up with a remarkable sophomore season, setting a single-season franchise record with 4,280 yards and guiding San Francisco to the Super Bowl during his 2023 campaign.
RELATED: Purdy hopes Shanahan makes addition to 49ers playbook
While Purdy's critics have diminished, some skeptics still question whether he deserves to be considered among the league's
