The 49ers and head coach Kyle Shanahan put together one of the NFL’s most productive offenses last season.
Even while the passing numbers didn’t live up to the inflated standard of the modern era, they scored the second-most points in the league and landed among the NFL’s best in most advanced and standard metrics.
Still, there are areas where the team can get better on that side of the ball. Here are four ways the 49ers’ offense can get better next season:
WR depth
The 49ers wound up leaning almost exclusively on the trio of Emmanuel Sanders, Deebo Samuel and Kendrick Bourne down the stretch last season. They need to find more playmakers to rely on on the outside. Sanders left in free agency, and it’s unclear how much larger of a role Bourne can take on and still be effective. San Francisco drafted Brandon Aiyuk in the first round, and will get Trent Taylor and Jalen Hurd back after they spent last season on Injured Reserve. Free agent signee Travis Benjamin will make a run at a roster spot, and Dante Pettis has the potential to make an impact if he can climb out of the hole he dug himself into last season. The 49ers have pieces to get better at receiver. Whether that actually turns into on-field production could be the difference between another deep playoff run and an early offseason.