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ESPN asked its own panel of experts to project the next three years and
determine the best NFL teams over that timeframe. Jeremy Fowler, Louis Riddick, Seth Walder, and Field Yates rated each franchise's roster, draft, front office, and coaching staff to determine their ranking. They weighted each category using a standard grading system (100 is an A+, 90 is an A, 80 is a B, etc.) and averaged them.
The San Francisco 49ers came in third with an overall score of 86.4.
Just two teams, the Baltimore Ravens at No. 1 (an 89.4 score) and the Kansas City Chiefs at No. 2 (89.0), ranked higher than the Niners.
"Sustainability for their success is rooted in a vaunted defensive front laced with young cornerstones and an offense under the guidance of one of the best minds in football, Kyle Shanahan, featuring a standout offensive line and running game," wrote Yates.
Riddick addressed the biggest worries on the roster, naming the team's 32-year-old cornerback, Richard Sherman, along with slot corner K'Waun Williams and safety Jaquiski Tartt. Each is entering the final year of his contract.
"This unit could undergo (a) major overhaul in the next two years, and for a team that was a couple of big plays allowed away from a Super Bowl title, the 49ers need to make sure the secondary doesn't become a problem," wrote Riddick.
Fowler notes that drafting some help at cornerback will be key for the 49ers' future success on defense. Other than that, the team has minimal roster holes and is among the best in the league.
As for how the 49ers did within each category, the overall roster — minus the quarterback — ranked first in the NFL. Both coaching and draft ranked No. 4 while the front office came in at seventh. San Francisco ranked No. 12 when it comes to its quarterback.
Walder examined the top statistic to know about the 49ers and pointed to the following while also noting that the defense would, in the long-term, be unlikely to maintain the high level of performance we saw last season.
"Defenses stacked eight or more players in the box on 26% of 49ers rushes when the game's win probability was between 20% and 80% last season, the second-highest rate in the league," wrote Walder. "That's because the 49ers run at a heavy rate. But they were much more efficient passing the ball -- and in fact, even ranked higher in EPA/pass play than EPA/rush play. That suggests that the 49ers' offense has room to grow by passing more and taking advantage of those stacked boxes."
Around the NFC West, the Seattle Seahawks came in at No. 8 (81.2) within the ranking while the Los Angeles Rams sat at No. 18 (75.7) and the Arizona Cardinals at No. 22 (73.6).
Last on the list? The Jacksonville Jaguars at No. 32 with the lowest overall score of 64.5.
Matt Miller, a longtime San Francisco 49ers fan and ESPN analyst, recently conducted a mock draft using ESPN Analytics' mock draft simulator. Proud of his projections, Miller shared the results on social media.
Basically DOMINATED this mock draft for the 49ers.https://t.co/j7ag09VRAY pic.twitter.com/COOE0M1eku— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) April
Cam Inman of Bay Area News Group caught up with Brock Purdy over the weekend as the San Francisco 49ers quarterback hosted his inaugural youth football camp at Levi's Stadium. Today, Purdy and most of his teammates will report to the team for the start of the offseason program, which will be limited to meetings, strength and conditioning, and physical rehabilitation over the next couple of weeks.
While this offseason holds significance for Purdy as he seeks to build upon an impressive 2023 campaign that saw him set a single-season franchise
The San Francisco 49ers announced the signing of wide receiver Trent Taylor to a one-year deal, reuniting with the team's former fifth-round draft pick out of Louisiana Tech.
Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area was the first to report that the 49ers were discussing a potential reunion with Taylor. The receiver was part of head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch's first draft class in 2017 and spent his first four NFL seasons with the team.
The #49ers are talking with free-agent slot receiver/return man
The San Francisco 49ers are hosting several draft prospects this week as the deadline for pre-draft visits draws near. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2, the team will host former Western Kentucky wide receiver Malachi Corley on Wednesday.
Corley is expected to be a Day 2 pick. San Francisco owns two selections on Day 2—the No. 63 overall pick in the second round and the No. 94 overall pick in the third round. Currently, the receiver is visiting with the Seattle Seahawks.
Western Kentucky @WKUFootball receiver Malachi Worley
