Pro Football Focus released the San Francisco 49ers edition of its 2020 NFL Team Preview Series. The feature by Steve Palazzolo evaluates each position group heading into the upcoming season. Below are some key statistics pointed out within the preview, which fans may find interesting.
Quarterback
- Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo finished last season with the 13th-best overall Pro Football Focus grade (77.5, including playoffs) among quarterbacks.
- 55.1% of Garoppolo's passing yards came after the catch, which ranks No. 2 in the NFL.
Running Backs
- Running back Raheem Mostert had the fourth-best rushing grade in the NFL (83.3) while averaging 5.8 yards per carry and forcing 46 missed tackles on 190 attempts.
- Running back Tevin Coleman posted the highest rushing grade of his career (71.3).
- Running back Jeff Wilson Jr. earned an overall grade of 70.4 on 64 snaps.
- Kyle Juszczyk was the highest-graded fullback in three of the past four years.
- Juszczyk averaged over 10.0 yards per reception over the past two years.
Wide Receivers
- Deebo Samuel ranked fifth among wide receivers with 484 yards after the catch during the regular season and third with an average of 8.5 yards after the catch per reception.
- Rookie receiver Brandon Aiyuk averaged 9.9 yards after the catch per reception on 98 career college catches.
- Wide receiver Kendrick Bourne has hauled in 10 touchdowns on 78 catches over the last two seasons but also dropped nine catchable targets during that time.
Tight Ends
- Tight end George Kittle finished with the top grade in the league in each of the past two seasons while leading all tight ends in yards after the catch during that time.
- Kittle recorded a top-six run-blocking grade in both 2018 and 2019.
- Rookie tight end Charlie Woerner earned a 82.9 grade in the run game last season at Georgia.
Offensive Line
- Trent Williams had the fifth-best overall grade (90.8) among tackles from 2015-18 while his career-high 88.9 run-blocking grade came in 2013 in Kyle Shanahan's offensive system.
- Mike McGlinchey earned the eighth-best run-blocking grade (81.2) among tackles. His pass-blocking grade of 66.0, however, ranked 73rd.
- Laken Tomlinson's 68.8 overall grade last season, including playoffs, ranked No. 23 among guards.
- Guard Mike Person, who allowed the seventh-most quarterback pressures (33) among guards last season, was released.
- Center Ben Garland earned a 71.6 grade on 416 snaps at center last season while the player he replaced, Weston Richburg, posted a 62.5 overall grade before getting injured.
- Tackle Daniel Brunskill earned a 73.0 overall grade and allowed just nine pressures on 475 attempts last season.
Defensive Line
- Defensive end Nick Bosa set the rookie record for total pressures in a season with 80.
- Defensive lineman Arik Armstead posted an overall grade of 89.8 while racking up 62 total pressures.
- Rookie defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw posted a 90.7 pass-rush grade last season at South Carolina.
Linebackers
- Linebacker Fred Warner had 37 missed tackles over the last two seasons, which is the sixth-highest total during that time.
- Warner's 74.5 coverage grade ranked No. 11 last year.
- Linebacker Kwon Alexander missed 13 of his 46 tackle attempts last year, the worst rate in the league.
- Linebacker Dre Greenlaw earned a 72.6 coverage grade last season.
Defensive Backs
- Cornerback Richard Sherman allowed just 227 receiving yards in the regular season and only 373 including the postseason. That's about 250 fewer than many of the game's other top corners.
- Cornerback Emmanuel Moseley allowed a passer rating more than 20 points lower than the number Ahkello Witherspoon allowed.
- K'Waun Williams is one of the game's best slot corners with a grade of 77.2 and allowing only one touchdown when targeted.