Aside from the signing of cornerback
Charvarius Ward, the 49ers haven't made any major moves thus far in free agency. It was obvious that addressing the secondary this offseason was likely to be a top priority for the 49ers. When you factor in the type of money that DE
Nick Bosa and WR
Deebo Samuel will garner in their next deals with the team, it is understandable that the 49ers didn't break the bank to resign some of the team's key ingredients who left in free agency, namely DT DJ Jones, G Laken Tomlinson, and RB Raheem Mostert. If the 2022 49ers are going to be the team that wins the franchise its 6th Lombardi trophy, developing the talent on the roster will be paramount.
While the obvious piece that must develop is Trey Lance, I will focus on other players who could emerge this upcoming season. Let's start with the offensive line. In two of the last four drafts, the 49ers have selected a Notre Dame offensive lineman in either the 1st or 2nd round. In 2018, they used the 9th pick to select RT Mike McGlinchey. Thus far his play has been up and down but the team saw enough to exercise the fifth-year option on his rookie contract. McGlinchey, 27, was appearing to turn the corner before suffering a season-ending injury in November. The 49ers are hoping he returns from injury and reaches his full potential.
When the 49ers selected G
Aaron Banks in the second round of the 2021 draft, many in the fanbase felt the pick signaled a philosophy change to a more power/gap run scheme. While that wasn't the case, some feel that Banks was struggling behind the scenes because he was a healthy scratch for most of the season. Whatever the reason was for his limited action last season, LG Laken Tomlinson signed with the Jets earlier this week and Banks will be asked to step up in some capacity to fill the void. In addition to Banks, the 49ers selected the versatile lineman
Jaylon Moore in the fifth round of the 2021 draft. Moore appeared in seven games during his rookie campaign and garnered three starts along the way. With a strong camp, Moore could look to start at either G spot or serve as the team's utility lineman, a role vacated by the loss of Tom Compton to the Broncos in free agency.
The strongest unit during the Kyle Shanahan era has been the defensive line. Defensive line coaching wizard Kris Kocurek has been instrumental in both the development and play of
Arik Armstead, Nick Bosa, DJ Jones, and DeForest Buckner. All of which are amongst the best defensive lineman in the league thanks to his tutelage and the 49ers are hoping that DT
Javon Kinlaw will be the next name to add to that list. Drafted 14th overall in 2020, Kinlaw has shown flashes of his potential dominance on the inside. However, nagging injuries have been the story thus far for the South Carolina product. If Kinlaw can remain healthy, his development could solidify the interior that saw Armstead move inside midway through last season. The 49ers are looking for a player to emerge opposite the ever-dominant Nick Bosa. Edge rushers Charles Omenihu and Samson Ebukam could fit the bill as both ended last season on hot streaks. Omenihu was acquired in a late-season trade, yet he played a key role in the run to the NFC Championship picking up two post-season sacks. Ebukam, who signed during the 2021 off-season, tallied 6.5 sacks (including post-season) all of which were recorded after Week 13 of the season. The development of these three defensive linemen will be pivotal in the team's ability to remain amongst the league's best defenses.
Staying with the defense, the secondary as it is currently constructed is evidence that the 49ers are going to rely on the development in 2022. The choice to sign Charvarius Ward over a more experienced and more decorated Stephon Gilmore was the initial signal of the direction management plans to steer the franchise. The 2022 49ers are set to start Charvarius Ward and Emmanuel Mosely both age 25 and the late-emerging
Ambry Thomas at the nickel who is only 22 years old. With Jaquiski Tartt's status with the team still up in the air,
Talanoa Hufanga, 22, is poised to start opposite the veteran Jimmie Ward. Although the unit is loaded with potential, it is clear that the 49ers are focusing on their ability to coach up a unit with such a lack of experience.
Finally, Trey Lance is set to take the helm as the franchise QB. He inherits one of the game's best TEs in
George Kittle and one of the most uniquely skilled offensive players in Deebo Samuel. Both are great starting points for any offense, however, the team is going to need more from 2021 second-round pick Trey Sermon and the 2021 late-round gem
Elijah Mitchell to compliment Lance in the backfield. Also,
Jauan Jennings will need to continue his steady play as he finished the season very strong making reliable plays on third down as the 49ers clawed their way into the wild card and during their playoff run. In addition, the player that is poised to make the biggest leap offensively is WR
Brandon Aiyuk. If he breaks out and becomes a bona fide number one WR, the sky is the limit for this multidimensional offense.
With OTA and training camp right around the corner, the 2022 49ers are built to win or fold based on the overall progression of the young players on the roster.
The San Francisco 49ers have been on a tear to begin the 2023 season, cementing themselves as a top team in the NFL, scoring 30 points in each of their first three contests, while allowing just 14 points a game.
However, it's not just those two sides that the 49ers are seeing contributions from; instead, San Francisco has been seeing major dividends from their special-teams unit, specifically their kicker Jake Moody and punter Mitch Wishnowsky.
While the coverage units have been questionable, the two main specialists have enjoyed a strong start to the season, with Moody earning much of the hype after beginning the season nine-for-nine following an inconsistent preseason, and deservedly so.
But, it's also time to share some love to Wishnowsky, who has
Christian McCaffrey is on a roll. In addition to racking up yards and San Francisco 49ers wins on the football field, the running back has been named the FedEx Ground Player of the Week for the second consecutive week.
With his victory, McCaffrey joins Derrick Henry, Josh Jacobs, Dalvin Cook, and Rashaad Penny as the only active players with back-to-back FedEx Ground Player of the Week victories in their careers.
McCaffrey rushed for 116 yards on 20 carries (5.8-yard average) and a rushing touchdown in Week 2's win over the Los Angeles Rams, and his 268 rushing yards through the first two weeks of the season
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey leads the NFL with 353 rushing yards. He has scored a rushing touchdown in each of his three games. Only Raheem Mostert of the Miami Dolphins and Kenneth Walker of the Seattle Seahawks have more rushing touchdowns.
The NFL has named McCaffrey the NFC Offensive Player of the Month for September, the running back's second such honor since joining the 49ers via a trade last season. He was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Month for December of 2022.
McCaffrey was also named the NFC Offensive Player of the Month for September of 2019 while with the Carolina Panthers.
In addition to his 353
Thursday night was a fun one at Levi's Stadium, where the San Francisco 49ers cruised to a 30-12 victory over the visiting New York Giants. It was a night that saw wide receiver Deebo Samuel declare himself as officially out of "awful" mode, running back Christian McCaffrey reach milestones, wide receiver Ronnie Bell create some lasting memories, and -- of all things -- Andrew Luck making a return to an NFL field (in full Civil War costume) to take part in a game of trivia.
Let's recap all that and more in this version of 49ers Notebook.
Not awful anymore
Back in June, Deebo Samuel caught some attention with his honest description of his 2022 performance
