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ESPN's position-by-position rankings continue.
George Kittle on Tuesday was
listed as the NFL's best tight end after writer Jeremy Fowler conducted an extensive poll involving 50 league executives, coaches, scouts, and players. The
latest top-10 ranking involves the quarterbacks.
Jimmy Garoppolo was not part of that list.
The San Francisco 49ers quarterback received just two votes from the 50 individuals polled, the same amount received by Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins but more than names like Derek Carr, Ryan Tannehill, Jared Goff, and
Sam Darnold, who each received one.
By comparison, of those left off, Matt Ryan of the Atlanta Falcons came closest to cracking the top-10 with 14 votes.
"[Garoppolo is] a pure pocket guy with a great release, and his teammates love him," said one veteran NFL coach. "He's probably got a ceiling, but I think he's a really good quarterback in this league."
Garoppolo may have ranked higher had his 49ers emerged viciously from February's Super Bowl. The team had the lead late in the game, but that lead evaporated after a fourth-quarter collapse by the 49ers and a surge by Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.
Mahomes, by the way, understandably ranks No. 1 on Fowler's list.
Garoppolo has endured a lot of criticism this offseason, despite having an impressive regular-season campaign last year — his first full season as an NFL starter. He led the 49ers to a division crown, their first in seven years, the No. 1 seed in the NFC, and a Super Bowl berth.
Garoppolo passed for 3,978 yards with 27 touchdowns and 13 interceptions last season. His passing yards total ranks fourth in franchise history, and the 49ers quarterback owns a regular-season record of 21-5 as a starter.
However, it was the combination of being underutilized in the playoffs, the Super Bowl collapse, and the team's flirtation with the idea of adding
Tom Brady this offseason that have forced many to question where Garoppolo stands among the NFL's best.
The 49ers quarterback has been able to block much of the outside noise, though.
"He seems to have handled it the way Jimmy has handled everything,"
fullback Kyle Juszczyk said in May. "He's exactly the same guy that he always is in these (Zoom) meetings. You haven't seen any crazy media lash-outs from him, or him be down on himself, or anything like that. It's just Jim.
"He comes to work every day, works his butt off, has the same demeanor every day. The outside noise, it truly doesn't seem to affect him."
Below are the quarterbacks who ranked in the top 10.
- Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
- Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks
- Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
- Deshaun Watson, Houston Texans
- Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints
- Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
- Tom Brady, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Carson Wentz, Philadelphia Eagles
- Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
- Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions
The San Francisco 49ers are holding their local pro day today at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara. The team has released the full roster of participants.
An NFL local pro day is an event hosted by teams to allow prospects with ties to the local area to showcase their skills in front of team personnel. These prospects typically hail from nearby colleges or have some other connection to the region where the team is based. Head coach Kyle Shanahan, general manager John Lynch, and a contingent of coaches, executives, and scouts will be on hand to evaluate prospective draftees during the 49ers' local pro day.
The event aims to give the team a closer look at these local talents who may have received less attention during the regular scouting process. It will allow the
ESPN analyst Matt Miller understands the perspective of San Francisco 49ers fans. After all, he has been a fan of the team since he was a kid. Seeing any of your favorite players leave and put on another uniform is tough.
It's also difficult to pay everyone, and Miller knows that. It's not a formula for successful roster building, including paying two wide receivers top dollar.
The 49ers are trying to negotiate a contract extension with wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. The team invested heavily in another receiver, Deebo Samuel, just two years ago. Is allowing each of them to consume a significant chunk of the salary cap feasible for a team that hopes to continue being competitive and win Super Bowls?
"I have to separate the fan part of my brain, who
The San Francisco 49ers are likely hoping that a top offensive lineman drops to them at No. 31 in the first round of this month's draft. Fans would like to see the team add someone to compete with Colton McKivitz for the right tackle spot and potentially take over for Trent Williams when the future Hall of Famer decides to retire.
Having two studs bookending the offensive line would go a long way in protecting franchise quarterback Brock Purdy. While tackle may be the first-round target, depending on how the first 30 selections play out, San Francisco might have to trade up to get a genuinely impactful
With the 2024 NFL Draft less than two weeks away, NFL Media draft analyst Chad Reuter recently identified the ideal top two draft picks for each team. The San Francisco 49ers have 10 selections in the upcoming draft, with their first two picks at No. 31 overall and No. 63.
Reuter noted, "I kept some semblance of realism in this process, however, assigning each player only once and making reasonable projections of where prospects may be selected."
Who are the standout picks for the 49ers? Reuter envisions the team addressing both offense and defense with their initial selections. It's widely anticipated that San Francisco will bolster its offensive line with
