It isn't easy to care about power rankings in May. For some, it isn't easy to care about power rankings — period. Still, they do serve a purpose. They are a good gauge to judge the perception of each NFL team.
Even Peter King acknowledges that power rankings "absolutely mean nothing." Still, that didn't stop him from releasing his own via his latest Football Morning in America feature for NBC Sports. King has the San Francisco 49ers, coming off a six-win season, ranked in his top five. That is noteworthy, considering most power rankings have San Francisco listed somewhere in the area of No. 9 — give or take a spot or two.
Only four teams — the Kansas City Chiefs, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Buffalo Bills, and Cleveland Browns — rank higher than the 49ers. The Super Bowl champion Buccaneers are the only NFC team listed higher than San Francisco within King's ranking.
"The Niners made the huge tradeup and Trey Lance draft pick because they couldn't trust Jimmy Garoppolo (last three years: 23 missed starts) to stay healthy," wrote King. "But there's something else, another reason for the urgency. The Lynch/Shanahan regime, highly respected around the league and by owner Jed York, has to be feeling some heat because of three losing seasons out of their first four on the job."
While Lance is the future, Garoppolo appears to be the present. The veteran is expected to remain the starting quarterback for the upcoming season, allowing the rookie the luxury of methodically absorbing the playbook.
King likes the situation and feels San Francisco benefits from no one wowing the team's brain trust with a trade offer for Garoppolo. The longtime scribe believes that Lance as the starter would have created a lot of uncertainty, given his lack of experience. After all, most believe that the 49ers have a win-now roster filled with talent.
"The 49ers will be good enough on offense," King continued. "Will they miss departed defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, replaced by DeMeco Ryans? At first glance, the Ryans defense should look very much like Saleh's, with maybe more physicality in the five-yard bump zone by the corners, and the same playmaking greatness from emerging star Fred Warner at middle linebacker."
Injuries derailed last season. Who knows how far a healthy 49ers squad might have gone. Potentially better luck on the injury front has many high on San Francisco's chances in 2021. The team will have key players like Garoppolo, Nick Bosa, and others returning. And it hopes all can stay on the field for most of the upcoming campaign.
"The Niners need a healthy season from Nick Bosa to be a great defense," King added. "And a great defense would allow them to threaten the Bucs for NFL supremacy."
King has the Los Angeles Rams ranked one spot behind San Francisco, the Seattle Seahawks at No. 12, and the Arizona Cardinals at No. 14. Not bad for the NFC West.