Are the Niners better of worse than their Super Bowl team after the draft?

I guess the point I was trying to make was not just with our draft picks but also with our unavailable players.

Obviously in a vacuum, you can't expect Kinlaw to be better than Buckner. However, if you look at our Dline in the Super Bowl to our Dline now, which would you choose if you had a choice.

Rookie Bosa
Injured Ford
Armstead
Thomas
Givens
Buckner
Earl Mitchell
Zettle
Day

or

2nd year Bosa
Healthier Ford (at least from the hammy if not the knee)
Armstead
Thomas
Givens
Kinlaw
Jones
Blair
Street
Taylor
Hyder

The same with our WRs I am not comparing Aiyuk to Sanders straight up but rather a WR group that lost Sanders and Mathews and gained Aiyuk, Trent Taylor, Hurd, Benjamin and Jennings, not to mention that Pettis can't possibly be worse than he was at the end of last year.

It really depends on whether Kinlaw and Aiyuck are better than Buckner and Sanders.

Bosa will get better by virtue of practicing against Williams everyday.

The rest comes down to health.

We might not necessarily be better this year, but we are set up for sustained success. I'll take that over the Rams approach lol

Jimmy taking his own game to the next level and elevating the play his offense will also make our team better. Not to mention that he gained valuable experience last season, as well as the fact that he's another year removed from "that terrible incident in Kansas City (2018)". Him being able to put his knee in the ground and twist will also help.

On paper we aren't better. Two rookies replacing key starters and a LT that hasnt played awhile. Still I think Trent is better than Staley if he's still that guy from 2018.

However, Jimmy being a full year off injury and second year in the system might elevate the passing game. Also if Hurd and Taylor are healthy.

Originally posted by Bellaleo:

Originally posted by okdkid:
Of course they're better.

It's not only about additions and subtractions. More importantly, it's about year-to-year growth of current players. Nearly everybody is slated to improve their play over last year. That list includes people like Bosa, Warner, Garoppolo, Deebo, Brunskill, McGlinchey, Ward and Armstead.

That should be terrifying for the NFL.

Yes, they are more talented than they were nine months ago.

Exactly...not only do we have a great roster but overall it's quite young.
I'm lazy and can't quite muster the effort to figure it out but I would bet we are one of the youngest rosters in the league.
Arrow pointing up for offense defense special teams coaching and ownership. Youth across the board.
Northern California not only has the best and youngest talent in football but also the work force. Lol

Totally agree. It's a young team and in one year - odds are that they are going to get better. The player continuity and the coaching continuity does matter. The only position group I worry about is DB with the loss of Coach Woods who's now DC for the Browns. I always felt that once Emanuel Sanders came on board, the offense took off. Prior to Emanuel, that offense struggled a lot and had to rely on the run quite a bit. At least that's what my feelings currently are. That 3rd consistent pass catcher (in addition to KIttle and Deebo) really helped Kyles offense sustain some consistency. Assuming the run game stays consistent from last year to this year - having Kittle and Deebo plus *two* good young WR's in Ayiuk and Hurd --- I think having two good WR's in (Aiyuk + Hurd) > is greater than one very talented veteran WR in Emanuel Sanders. If Aiyuk and Hurd develop into just *good* above average WR's, most NFL defenses don't have the DB's to cover that kind of WR talent across the board.

Originally posted by Hoovtrain:

Agree with this
https://www.49erswebzone.com/articles/136540-trotter-49ers-objectively-you-cannot-say-theyre-better/

Yeah. Objectively, no. But certainly younger, replaced talented players with talented players and added a lot of cap space for the future.

We may not be as good initially but there's a very real chance they could be better by the end of the season, health and development permitting.

Originally posted by S41MAN:
On paper we aren't better. Two rookies replacing key starters and a LT that hasnt played awhile. Still I think Trent is better than Staley if he's still that guy from 2018.

However, Jimmy being a full year off injury and second year in the system might elevate the passing game. Also if Hurd and Taylor are healthy.

Agree.

My only big concern right now is can the youngs step up with Sanders gone, and Sherman is also a year older now..

But like you said. If Jimmy looks like the Jimmy of 2017, then we will be better.

I think we'll be better

Garoppolo should take another step forward, a full year + removed from injury, another year in the playbook, and he has more of a variety of weapons if Hurd, Taylor and McKinnon can stay healthy

And continuity throughout the roster should go a long ways

Our three major losses were replaced by two first round picks and an All-Pro who was handpicked for the system

Originally posted by PuckFarag10:
Jimmy taking his own game to the next level and elevating the play his offense will also make our team better. Not to mention that he gained valuable experience last season, as well as the fact that he's another year removed from "that terrible incident in Kansas City (2018)". Him being able to put his knee in the ground and twist will also help.

KC is his nemesis at this point for the ACL and the SB.

If SF makes it back to the SB, odds are KC will be there to greet us.

Originally posted by TheGore49er:

Originally posted by S41MAN:
On paper we aren't better. Two rookies replacing key starters and a LT that hasnt played awhile. Still I think Trent is better than Staley if he's still that guy from 2018.

However, Jimmy being a full year off injury and second year in the system might elevate the passing game. Also if Hurd and Taylor are healthy.

Agree.

My only big concern right now is can the youngs step up with Sanders gone, and Sherman is also a year older now..

But like you said. If Jimmy looks like the Jimmy of 2017, then we will be better.

We were undefeated before we traded for Sanders, so replacing him with anyone, let alone a 1st Rounder is a positive

and Sherman was one of the best CBs in the league last year in his first fully healed season, I don't see him falling off much and think he could probably play at high level for a couple more seasons after this

They are fine. They are a 10 win wild card team who can maybe make a run at a super bowl. For a team who just lost in the super bowl, I think that is a win.

Originally posted by NinerGM:

Originally posted by NCommand:

Originally posted by Hoovtrain:

Agree with this
https://www.49erswebzone.com/articles/136540-trotter-49ers-objectively-you-cannot-say-theyre-better/

Yeah. Objectively, no. But certainly younger, replaced talented players with talented players and added a lot of cap space for the future.

We may not be as good initially but there's a very real chance they could be better by the end of the season, health and development permitting.

Yep to both NC and Hoov.

The possible upside for this season IMHO is even higher than last.

For sure and I'm excited to see who comes back from injury and contributes and who takes the next big developmental step.

Some early sleepers: Jerick McKinnon, Jason Verrett, Jalen Hurd and Travis Benjamin (ST mostly and veteran WR to help groom Aiyuk but continue at X initially).

Originally posted by 49ersFan_vienna:

Originally posted by Jiks:

I'd say slightly worse. The problem is teams like Seattle and LAR stayed the same and AZ got a lot better. So the division got better and we took a step back. Though I like Kinlaw and Aiyuk they are no Defo or Sanders for a few years.

how did the rams stay the same?

Because they sucked in 2019 and they will suck in 2020.