The 49ers’ climb back to the Super Bowl got exponentially more difficult in February when they fell to the Chiefs 25-22 in Super Bowl LVIII. Making it back to the NFL’s championship game is notoriously difficult the season after losing it.
While some may write off the 49ers since they’re coming off a fourth crushing season-ending defeat in five years, football analytics site Pro Football Focus is still holding San Francisco in very high regard.
The 49ers landed at No. 1 in PFF’s 2024 NFL roster rankings thanks to their arsenal of offensive weapons that features Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel, George Kittle and Christian McCaffrey. Last season San Francisco rolled out one of the best offenses in football despite quarterback Brock Purdy having offseason elbow surgery and going into his first full season as a starter without any kind of real offseason program. That unit projects to be very good again in 2024.
A key weakness highlighted by PFF, and one highlighted by anyone who follows the 49ers even a little bit, is their pass protection. Two breakdowns in that area played pivotal roles in the Super Bowl loss to the Chiefs, and there weren’t any major moves made to help the offensive line in the offseason.
San Francisco did use a Day 2 pick on offensive lineman Dominick Puni in this year’s draft though, and PFF identified Puni as a rookie to watch because of how he might be able to shore up that glaring weakness.
Via PFF:
Third-round pick Dominick Puni is a versatile lineman who was a fine pass protector at guard and tackle for Kansas over the last two seasons. Puni finished 2023 with an elite 90.4 pass-blocking grade. He certainly won’t play left tackle with Trent Williams still in tow, but he could help elsewhere early in his career.
The 49ers will enter the 2024 with virtually every key piece of a Super Bowl roster returning. It’s part of why they sit with a preseason win total of 11.5, and it’s also why PFF has them going over that number:
Despite their Super Bowl loss, the 49ers are arguably the most talented team in the NFL. They are loaded with playmakers on offense who provide the perfect environment for Brock Purdy to succeed. They consistently boast a top-five defense. Patrick Mahomes has twice been the primary obstacle in their quest for a Lombardi Trophy. There are no such hurdles, however, in their consistent regular season success. Twelve wins is the expectation for this team.
If the 49ers can manage to churn out 12 wins against a daunting schedule a year after losing the Super Bowl it would be their most impressive season since Kyle Shanahan arrived as head coach, and they’d be right back in contention to try and do the nearly impossible to win a Super Bowl the year after losing one.
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