Pro Football Focus released its latest power rankings based on its exclusive ELO Ratings and player grades. Despite coming in as the Super Bowl runner-up, the Kansas City Chiefs rank No. 1 while the reigning Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers come in at No. 2.
The San Francisco 49ers, who finished with six wins last season, are sitting at No. 9. The ranking is the second-highest among NFC West teams, with the Los Angeles Rams three spots ahead of them and the Seattle Seahawks sitting one spot below. The Arizona Cardinals are at No. 16.
The 49ers are only given a 1.1 percent Super Bowl win probability, though. By comparison, the Buccaneers were given a 16 percent probability while Pro Football Focus handed the Chiefs a 15.1 percent probability.
San Francisco's overall ranking is the fifth-highest among NFC teams. Only the Buccaneers, Green Bay Packers, Rams, and New Orleans Saints rank higher.
The 49ers' 6-10 2020 campaign is largely due to the team's significant amount of injuries last season. With some better luck with health, the roster figures to be much more competitive during the upcoming season. That is placing San Francisco within the top 10 of many power rankings, which would seem too high for a team coming off a losing season under normal circumstances.
In addition to getting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo back, San Francisco drafted his eventual replacement at No. 3 overall — Trey Lance of North Dakota State. Although, the rookie figures to sit and learn during his first NFL season.
Pro Football Focus lists Trent Williams as the team's highest-graded player (91.9). The 49ers re-signed the offensive tackle to a long-term deal this offseason, making him the league's highest-paid offensive lineman. One of the reasons Williams wanted to return, other than the financial ones, is that he believes San Francisco has a championship-caliber roster.
"We sat back, and we watched that whole playoff run last year, we watched that whole Super Bowl, and I just know if my team was intact, we would be one of those teams [that are] either fighting for position or fighting for that Lombardi," Williams said in March. "... I'm excited. I'm ecstatic. I think we've got every piece of the puzzle we need to win this division and win the conference."
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