Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports
Where Fred Warner, Nick Bosa, other 49ers sit in recent PFF rankings
Jun 10, 2023 at 2:10 PM
•
Videos are auto-populated by an affiliate. This site has no control over the videos that appear above.
Pro Football Focus is continuing with its annual NFL position rankings. The earlier ones have seen
Trent Williams listed as the league's top offensive tackle. Running back
Christian McCaffrey and tight end
George Kittle ranked high within their position groups. Wide receivers
Deebo Samuel and
Brandon Aiyuk, cornerback
Charvarius Ward, defensive tackles
Javon Hargrave and Arik Armstead, quarterback
Brock Purdy, and guard
Spencer Burford also represented the San Francisco 49ers within each position's top 32.
RELATED Where 49ers players landed in PFF's RB, TE, WR, CB, and DT rankings
A few more 49ers players have popped up within recent lists. Pro Football Focus lists
Fred Warner as the
top-ranked linebacker. He's a player who consistently earns high grades from the analytics site.
"The 2022 campaign marked the third season in which Warner recorded an 80.0-plus overall grade, solidifying his case as the top player at his position," wrote Trevor Sikkema.
While Warner is categorized as a Tier 1 linebacker, Pro Football Focus lists his teammate,
Dre Greenlaw, as a Tier 2 linebacker. Greenlaw came in at No. 8 within the linebacker ranking.
"Greenlaw went from a 62.9 coverage grade in 2021 to an 82.7 coverage grade in 2022," wrote Sikkema, who describes Greenlaw as one of the "more athletically gifted linebackers in the league."
What about
Nick Bosa, the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year? Last season's sack leader came in at
No. 3 among edge rushers, behind Myles Garrett of the Cleveland Browns and Micah Parsons of the Dallas Cowboys.
RELATED Trent Williams vs. Nick Bosa: Who is more valuable to the 49ers in 2023?
"Bosa won the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year award in 2022, as he led the league in pressures (90), finished third in pass rush win percentage (21%), and was stout versus the run (82.6 run defense grade while missing zero tackles as a run defender)," wrote Sikkema.
Garrett earned the top spot among edge rushers thanks to his consistent play. Sikkema notes that 2022 was the Browns defender's fifth straight season earning an 89.5-plus overall grade with double-digit sacks.
Sikkema adds, "Parsons finished top five in both pass rush grade (92.2) and win rate (19.6%) over the last two years and is No. 1 in the league in our pass rush productivity metric."
Jake Brendel found his way onto Pro Football Focus' ranking of centers.
He came in at No. 23.
"Brendel entered the league as an undrafted free agent out of UCLA in 2016 and didn't see more than 200 snaps until last year when he emerged as the starter in the middle of the 49ers offensive line," wrote Gordon McGuinness. "He was solid as a run blocker but stood out in pass protection, where his 71.8 PFF grade ranked seventh at the position."
Related News
Facebook Comments
More San Francisco 49ers News
49ers' Fred Warner addresses Armstead's departure, Greenlaw's recovery, Super Bowl window
The news of Arik Armstead's departure from the San Francisco 49ers after nine seasons with the team shocked linebacker Fred Warner. Armstead, a former first-round pick, was an impactful force on the football field. However, his availability over the last two seasons forced the 49ers to reevaluate his contract, and when his salary could not be significantly reduced, the two sides parted ways.
"Huge surprise," Warner said of learning that Armstead was being released. "Ever since I've been here, we called him the blueprint for how to be a Niner. That was the longest-tenured Niner that's been here and a guy that's done it right through and through."
Warner has been in the NFL long enough to understand how the league works. Over the years, he's watched several
Where the 49ers landed in PFF's latest power ranking
While it would be foolish to declare that the San Francisco 49ers lack any deficiencies, the team remains one of the most talented rosters in the NFL. That alone is enough to place them high on media power rankings.
The truth is, power rankings mean very little at this stage in the offseason. Yes, free agency has come and gone, but NFL rosters are about to undergo further changes this week, with the 2024 NFL Draft slated for Thursday.
Pro Football Focus' Amelia Probst posted a power ranking based on the analytics site's data on each roster and the offseason roster moves made so far. The San Francisco 49ers came in at No. 2, behind only the Kansas City
Anthony "Spice" Adams to announce 49ers' draft picks in 2nd and 3rd rounds
NFL Communications has officially announced the "NFL legends and active players" who will announce selections during Day 2 of the 2024 NFL Draft. Representing the San Francisco 49ers will be former defensive tackle Anthony "Spice" Adams, who spent four seasons with the team and nine in the NFL.
San Francisco selected Adams out of Penn State in the second round (No. 57 overall) of the 2003 NFL Draft.
The NFL's full announcement is below.
In the NFL's continuous effort to connect the game's greats with the next generation of stars, NFL Legends and active players will add to the excitement of the 2024 NFL Draft by announcing various selections and participating in festivities in Detroit.
Pro Football Hall of Famers Isaac
George Kittle's message to Brandon Aiyuk amid contract talks with 49ers: "Be patient"
George Kittle made his sentiments clear in a recent conversation about his teammate, wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. The tight end emphasized that he couldn't picture the San Francisco 49ers without Aiyuk and spoke highly of him in a discussion with Fox News Digital's Scott Thompson.
Throughout the offseason, Kittle has had several conversations with Aiyuk and empathizes with his situation. Reflecting on his own contract negotiation in 2020 before reaching an agreement with the 49ers, Kittle offered his best advice to Aiyuk: "Hey, be patient."
Kittle added, "It's just kind of the way the Niners do things. I didn't
