By: Andy Davies

The NFC West was considered the elite division in the NFL as little as a year ago but things have progressed since, despite having the current Super Bowl champions in the Los Angeles Rams. 

Russell Wilson is no longer in the division, and no one quite knows who will be the QB1 in San Francisco. 

But who is the divisions best quarterback? Here are the rankings of the NFC West quarterbacks from best to worst.

Matthew Stafford (Los Angeles Rams)

What better place to start than with the QB1 of the Super Bowl Champions. Whilst Stafford was not the reason the Rams won Super Bowl 56 over the Cincinnati Bengals, with 3 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions, he was certainly the final piece of the jigsaw as the Rams hoisted the Lombardi Trophy for the first time since the 1999 season. 

The Rams were always contenders, making it all the way to Super Bowl 53, but there was always something missing at the quarterback position. Jared Goff did well but even he would admit he was probably not good enough to take the Rams where they needed.

He was traded to the Detroit Lions in exchange for Stafford and the rest is history. Stafford had reached the postseason on three previous occasions, but each time came up short at the first attempt. His lack of playoff wins was a factor pointed out by sceptics when he arrived but when the Rams made the playoffs, Stafford showed why the team gave up so much to get him. In four games, he threw for 1,188 yards, 9 touchdowns and 3 interceptions as well as having a 70% completion percentage (98 from 140).

In the regular season, Stafford also impressed. Only Tom Brady (43) threw for more touchdown passes (41), with Stafford throwing for the third-most passing yards (4,886). 

Stafford is clearly the choice for the number one spot on this list and it will take a lot for the other players in this list to catch him up.

Kyler Murray (Arizona Cardinals)

Murray’s future is unclear, with his fifth option exercised but no longer-term deal in place at time of writing. 

The 2019 first overall pick has shown signs of his potential but is yet to fulfil this on a consistent basis. In three seasons, he has thrown for 11,480 yards, 70 touchdowns and 34 interceptions, whilst also recording  1,786 rushing yards and 20 rushing touchdowns. 

A trend of Murray’s career so far is starting off the season well but tailing off down the stretch. He will need a big year to convince the Cardinals front office that he is the player moving forward. Either way, he still remains second on this list.

Jimmy Garoppolo (San Francisco 49ers)

When the 49ers lost to the Rams in the NFC Championship game back in January, it was seen by many to be the end of Jimmy G in San Francisco. However, he is still on the team.

Having missed OTA’s due to rehab on his shoulder,  he has yet to be traded. Say what you want about Jimmy G, but he wins games. Simple as that. Whilst he has never been the reason for the 49ers winning games, he is a very serviceable quarterback. With uncertainty over Lance after reports of the organisation being underwhelmed, Garoppolo is the right guy to be under centre for the 49ers in week one. 

Drew Lock/Geno Smith (Seattle Seahawks)

Whether it is Lock or Smith, there is no way they aren’t at the bottom of this list. Lock has a great start to life in the NFL, when he started for the Denver Broncos towards the end of the 2019 season, his 2020 and 2021 campaigns flattered to deceive. Meanwhile, Smith has been a backup for most of his career. Neither of these quarterbacks, whoever starts against the Broncos in week one, are likely to inspire confidence from fans or the Seattle coaching staff. 

The post Ranking the NFC West Quarterbacks right now appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Andy Davies

The San Francisco 49ers are one of the most successful franchises in NFL history. Only the New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers (both 6) have more Super Bowl wins than the 49ers (5). The 49ers’ five Super Bowls all came between the years of 1981 and 1994. They have lost two since, in the 2012 and 2019 seasons. The quarterbacks that led the 49ers to the Lombardi Trophy were Hall of Famers Joe Montana and Steve Young. Three of those five wins saw Montana as the starter and Young as the backup.

Young is seen by many as the best backup quarterback in history, considering the gold jacket that he earned despite many years as the backup to Montana. He would win a Super Bowl as the starter after the franchise moved on from Montana. Ever since Young decided to hang up his cleats, the 49ers have struggled to find his replacement. Have they found the guy in Trey Lance?

Perhaps, but here is why the quarterback situation involving Lance and current starter Jimmy Garoppolo could prevent the 49ers from winning the NFC West during the 2021 season.

Struggles Since Young

Jeff Garcia was the man to come in for Young. During his five seasons in the Bay, he threw for 113 touchdowns and 56 interceptions as well as 16,408 passing yards. He had a 35-36 record as a starter for the 49ers in the regular season and a 1-2 record in the postseason, meaning he never hit the heights of his predecessor.

Alex Smith was the number one overall pick in 2005, shattering Aaron Rodgers’ dreams. However, he was a good quarterback, not a great quarterback. Colin Kaepernick replaced Smith and took the 49ers to the Super Bowl. They ended up losing to the Baltimore Ravens in a game often called the ”˜Blackout Bowl’. Kaepernick failed to live up to the standards he set that season.

He would be kicked out of the league for taking the knee in a protest against police brutality in 2016. He has not played a snap in the NFL since. Jimmy Garoppolo was traded from the Patriots to the 49ers midway through the 2017 season. He gave hope to the organization after winning all five of the games he started in 2017. The fanbase had hope going into the 2018 season.

Many non-49ers fans had San Francisco down as their dark horse for the season. A season-ending injury to Garoppolo in Week 3 saw the starting role shared between Nick Mullens and C.J. Beathard. However, the 49ers finished 4-12 as they went into 2019 with the second overall pick. Nick Bosa was selected and transformed the defense of San Francisco and Jimmy G had the best season of his career. He threw for 3,978 passing yards, 27 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. Despite these stats, Garoppolo saw his production limited in the NFC Championship game as the coaching staff decided to use more of their running game. This led to many questions leading to the Super Bowl. The 49ers threw away a ten-point lead in the fourth quarter as they would end up losing to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 54.

Garoppolo was criticized heavily for an overthrown pass to Emmanuel Sanders that would have given San Francisco back the lead. His 2020 season saw a mixture of poor form and injury. During the 2021 offseason, the 49ers traded up with the Miami Dolphins to gain the number three overall pick. They took Lance with the pick, showcasing their intentions to eventually move off from Garoppolo. There is now talk of whether San Francisco and head coach Kyle Shanahan will start Lance in week one. The other scenarios discussed are either Lance coming in mid-season or sitting out the whole campaign as the backup to Garoppolo. The uncertainty will have a significant impact on the 49ers’ season.

The Strength of the NFC West

This is a problem that will affect all four teams in the best division in the NFL. There is a chance that all four teams can make the playoffs. Los Angeles has an exciting new quarterback in 2009 first overall pick Matthew Stafford. Both the Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals have quarterbacks in Russell Wilson and Kyler Murray that they would never dream of trading away. Meanwhile, the 49ers’ starting quarterback is largely unpopular by fans, due to a mixture of the overthrown pass in the Super Bowl, his poor 2020 campaign and his injury record.

San Francisco has the least trusted quarterback in the division. With the position being one of the most crucial in all sports, it does not bode well for a team when there is uncertainty in the position. Garoppolo may be benched at some point during the season for Lance. However, the 49ers would be putting a rookie that will still be learning the system into the toughest division in the NFL.

Learning From Mahomes, Jackson, Tua and Burrow

If San Francisco are to help Lance succeed, they will need to take some lessons from recent draft classes. Patrick Mahomes, widely seen as the best quarterback in the league, spent all but one game of his 2017 rookie season as a backup to Alex Smith. The Chiefs then traded Smith the following offseason and Mahomes has never looked back. In his first three full seasons as a starter in the NFL, he has reached two Super Bowls, winning one. He has also been crowned MVP and Super Bowl MVP and reached three successive AFC Championship games. All three have been at home. On the flip side, 2020 first overall pick Joe Burrow started in week one of his rookie year. He wouldn’t last the season, only playing ten games before injury curtailed his first NFL campaign. He was impressive before his injury but there are no guarantees he will be the same player when he returns.

Lamar Jackson was a backup to Joe Flacco during his 2018 rookie year but won the starting role midseason. He has since gone on to win an MVP award and is the future of the franchise. Meanwhile, the Miami Dolphins brought Tua Tagovailoa in mid-season but he struggled in his rookie season. He is seen to already be on the hot seat, with many feeling the Dolphins rushed him in. These examples all show there are reasons for the 49ers to be hasty when it comes to choosing when to bring Lance into the starting role.

Lance Or Garoppolo In 2021?

The 49ers will have to decide soon who their starter will be in 2021. Considering Lance has only played one full season (2019), he is likely to start the season as the backup. He only threw for a combined total of 31 passing attempts, two touchdowns and 1 interception across the 2018 and 2020 seasons, albeit the latter campaign being disrupted by the pandemic. He is likely to be a work in progress but his 28 touchdowns and 0 interceptions in 2019 mean that he is one for the future.

Garoppolo will likely start in week one but it was clear from the NFC Championship game that Shanahan doesn’t completely trust him.

Jimmy G is a capable quarterback but his health is a concern. Expect Garoppolo to remain as the starter provided the 49ers are winning games but for Lance to come in should Garoppolo either be injured or start the season poorly.

Should this happen, this will be the end of Garoppolo’s time in San Francisco. Depending on timing, he will then be traded either before the deadline or in the 2022 offseason.

Can The 49ers Returning Players Avoid A Repeat Of 2020?

This is key if the 49ers are to challenge for both the NFC West and the NFC. After earning the number one seed and reaching Super Bowl 54 during the 2019 campaign, San Francisco finished 6-10 in 2020 and bottom of the division. A ”˜Super Bowl Hangover’ played its part but the main cause of such a decline was down to a colossal amount of injuries the team suffered. Along with the aforementioned Garoppolo, the 49ers also saw Bosa, Dee Ford, George Kittle, Raheem Mostert, Deebo Samuel and Solomon Thomas miss large chunks of the 2020 season due to injury.

San Francisco had 33 players reported questionable and there were 186 occasions when the 49ers reported a player on injured reserve. They had the second-most injuries of any team in the NFL over the past twenty years. Should all these players come back, then this 49ers roster will be one of the best in the league. This will make life much easier for whoever the San Francisco starting quarterback is.

However, from the strength of the division to the uncertainty at quarterback, San Francisco will find it tough to win the NFC West.

The post Why the QB situation may prevent the 49ers from winning the NFC West appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Steph Sanchez

Due to the circumstances, Javon Kinlaw’s career may always be connected to DeForest Buckner. When the 49ers traded DeForest Bucker in March of 2020, it sent shockwaves throughout the league. Buckner had just completed his best season to date on the wave of the team’s Super Bowl birth. 

When the decision on who to extend came down to Arik Armstead and DeForest Buckner, no one really expected the team to part ways with Buckner. However, making the money work was an issue. Buckner, being as impressive as he was, would demand top DE money. 

The 49ers are not averse to dishing out top dollar for top talent. But they spend their money meticulously and with eyes on the long term. So while they could have technically made a Buckner extension work, they would be strapped for cash for years to come with extensions for George Kittle, Fred Warner, and Nick Bosa coming up.

That’s when the 49ers decided to trade DeForest Buckner to the Indianapolis Colts in March of 2020, at the height of his career. The 49ers received a first-round pick in exchange for Buckner. 

Many 49ers fans were livid. The immediate reaction was that the 49ers made the wrong move. First round picks are great if you make the right pick with them. The pressure was immediately on for the 49ers to pick an absolute game changer. Even if it wasn’t reasonable, fans wanted a Buckner replacement to be at his level. Anything less would be a mistake.

The 49ers selected DT Javon Kinlaw with the 14th overall pick in the 2020 draft. It was clear that this kid was a baller but immediately people reviewed the pick through a certain lens: Is Javon Kinlaw a better prospect than DeForest Buckner? Hard to say so early but it seemed Kinlaw would have to go above and beyond to escape Buckner’s shadow.

The 6-foot-5, 324 pound Kinlaw had an impressive resume coming out of college. He finished a First-Team All American who tallied 82 total tackles, 17 for loss, 10 total sacks, 3 force fumbles, and 8 passes defended. It was clear right off the bat that Kinlaw had proven to be an impactful player before. It wasn’t crazy to think that he could step up into a similar role in the NFL and yield similar results.

The elephant in the room would remain, however. We can imagine the immense pressure that Kinlaw felt before even stepping into the 49ers facility. He knew he would not only be entering a new environment but one where he is expected to eventually fill the void of Buckner. He was expected to prove that he was the right move. The reports out of Kinlaw’s first camp were all positive and it did not seem as if the pressure would hinder his performance. 

As the long awaited and anticipated season began to get underway, injuries to the defense mounted. The biggest hit to the defense and Kinlaw’s growth may have been Nick Bosa who went down in Week 2. Bosa’s presence makes everything a bit easier for the rest of the defensive line as he garners a lot of attention from the offensive line. Buckner was a force in his own right, however, it can’t be overstated the impact that Bosa and even Dee Ford had on freeing things up for him. Kinlaw could have benefited from the same but it would not happen in his rookie season.

The defense still found a way to flash, including Kinlaw. He finished his rookie season with 19 total pressures, and 2 sacks on 341 pass rush snaps. He also made an impact in the run game with 20 stops. He showed he can do things on his own and help his teammates make plays with 24 total tackles and 8 assists.  Stats alone won’t tell the full story but having watched every game, you can see Kinlaw become more and more comfortable with himself, with the scheme, and with the level of competition with each week. So when you consider Kinlaw as a rookie, he did a great job and 49ers fans have plenty to look forward to as he continues to develop. He was no Buckner right off the bat but it’s important to remember that neither was Bucker. In fact, in Kinlaw’s first NFL game vs Cardinals, he was graded 81.4 by PFF. Buckner’s best rookie grade also just so happened to be 81.4. If PFF scores are any indication of what’s to come, Kinlaw is heading in the right direction.

With another year under his belt (and an offseason of hunting and eating squirrels), you have to feel good about Kinlaw having a potential breakout year. The 49ers defensive line bolstered their depth this offseason with the additions of Maurice Hurst, Arden Key and Zach Kerr. This will allow for a solid rotation that will help keep the line fresh. This will ultimately benefit every defensive lineman. It also gives first year defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans a full arsenal of players to execute his more “aggressive” scheme. 

The return of Nick Bosa should also do wonders for the line. Even if Bosa isn’t 100% back to his rookie form, he will garner enough attention to provide opportunities for Kinlaw and others. 

While we’ve been conditioned to no longer expect Dee Ford to be available, we have heard good things about his rehab this offseason. It sounds like he can contribute even if only a few pass rushing snaps a game. While it may not seem like much, it’s more support than Kinlaw had last season and I fully expect the 6’5” 319 pound pro to take advantage. 

With more experience, confidence and better supporting cast, the stars are aligning for Kinlaw to have a breakout year. Kris Kocurek and DeMeco Ryans will put him in winning situations. Opposing offensive lines will have their hands full with a stacked 49ers defensive front

The post Why 49ers Javon Kinlaw will be a star next season appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Steph Sanchez

A week ago, Bleacher Report released a ranking of every NFL defense after the draft. The 49ers were ranked No. 15. The grade can be argued with but you can see where they were coming from. The defense did seem to take a step back after losing several important players throughout the year. 

No player was missed on defense more so than Nick Bosa who suffered an ACL tear in just the second game of the season. Expectations for Bosa in his second year were high after a dominant rookie season that saw him earn Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. The return of Nick Bosa alone could very well be the difference between being Top 15 and becoming a Top 10 defense.

Before departing to New York for a first-time head coaching gig, Robert Saleh turned a bottom of the barrel defense around in just a few years. But it wasn’t until Nick Bosa came along that the defense reached new, Super Bowl competing heights. Robert Saleh getting to add Nick Bosa to his defense in 2019 was like Thanos getting his final Infinity Stone.

Bosa unlocks the 49ers defense’s full potential. Nick Bosa tallied 80 total pressures and seven total assists during the 2019 regular season, according to PFF. Bosa will be playing with an improved supporting cast with new DL additions Samson Ebukam and Jordan Willis, Javon Kinlaw in his second year, and Dee Ford making a return from his own injury hiatus. The attention and double teams Nick Bosa commands should open things up for his defensive lineman counterparts. They should have no problems reaping the benefits.

Not only does Bosa’s impact allow other members of the defensive line to do more, it allows defensive backs to do less. Nick Bosa’s quick get off and high motor forces quarterbacks to get the ball out quickly. In 2019, Bosa accounted for 52 total hurries. The faster opposing quarterbacks have to get the ball out, the less time corners have to cover. This helps their stat sheet as well, as it’s more likely that the quarterbacks make an errant throw, resulting in interceptions or incompletions. It’s also great for overall playtime endurance. 

We can expect that with a new defensive coordinator in DeMeco Ryans, and some new chess pieces on defense, the 49ers defensive scheme may be more aggressive than we’ve ever seen it. I expect blitz packages to be dialed up more often. This will play well to Bosa and the rest of the defensive line’s strengths so they can get loose and wreak havoc on opposing offenses.

On the first day of mandatory OTAs, head coach Kyle Shanahan said the 49ers expect Nick Bosa back and ready to go by training camp. This is great news for the outlook of their season. His impact is unmatched and could only rival that of teammate Fred Warner. Barring any setbacks, Bosa’s presence on the field will be the reason this defense will be climbing power rankings come season time.

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By: Tayyib Abu

The San Francisco 49ers endured a torrid, injury-ridden season as they slumped to the bottom of the NFC West. After making a Super Bowl trip in 2019, 2020 was a disappointing year for the ‘Niners. 2021 offers a fresh start for the club, as several vital starters will return from injury.

The 49ers are determined to win the division and make a return trip to the Super Bowl. The 49ers will need a solid season with contributions from Pro Bowl players. It is time to assess which 49er players could become Pro Bowlers in 2021.

Jimmy Garoppolo

The 49ers traded up to draft quarterback Trey Lance from North Dakota State. In one move, the San Francisco hierarchy put an expiration date on Jimmy Garoppolo’s stint on the Gold Coast. Lance is the future in Santa Clara; Garoppolo isn’t. However, it is doubtful that Lance will start on Week 1; the raw quarterback requires time to learn the intricacies of the NFL and the 49ers offensive playbook.

Therefore, Garoppolo is still the leading man in California. And while he is an injury-prone player, Garoppolo’s record when healthy is impressive. In his seven-year career, Garoppolo’s played an entire season of 16 games, once.

That season was the best of Garoppolo’s fledgeling career. Garoppolo knows the 49er offence, and he owns healthy relationships with his skill position players. Garoppolo is a Shanahan-style quarterback.

He makes intelligent decisions, releases the ball accurately on short and intermediate routes. Garoppolo and Shanahan are a match made in heaven, and the added motivation of silencing the critics should see Garoppolo improve.

The Shanahan offence is quarterback-friendly, and Garoppolo understands it perfectly. The experienced quarterback will bounce back with a big year for his career and the 49ers in 2021.

Alex Mack

If Garoppolo is to enjoy success, six-time Pro Bowler Alex Mack will be critical. The center knows the Shanahan offence inside out; he played for Atlanta when the Falcons made the Super Bowl.

Mack is a veteran locker room leader familiar with the blocking concepts that Shanahan will employ in the run game and passing game. The heavy dosage of outside-zone running means Mack must anchor and pin down the defensive lineman.

The reliance on play-action will force Mack to use his high motor and endurance to maintain blocks. Therefore, it surprised no one that San Francisco offered a three-year contract to Mack in free agency. His familiarity and experience may send him back to the Pro Bowl in 2021.

Jaquiski Tartt

Defence anchored the 49ers’ Super Bowl run in 2019. That defence underwent some changes over the last 18 months. DeForest Buckner, Solomon Thomas, Akhello Witherspoon and Solomon Thomas have all left the franchise. Other players must step up.

Jaquiski Tartt is a player who could do that. Tartt is a heavy-hitting, Safety with strong eye discipline and solid awareness in pass coverage. Tartt is an experienced player with knowledge of the 49er defence.

Providing him with a more senior role, Tartt should grow in the defensive backfield. His physical tools are there, and he should get help from the linebacker corps and the defensive line that features a returning Nick Bosa. Tartt could flourish in 2021.

The post Three 49ers That Could Be Surprise Pro Bowlers in 2021 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By Zach Attack @FFChalupaBatman

George Kittle, TE for the San Francisco 49ers, has been a stud in the NFL and for fantasy football.  Unless this is about to be your first season watching football and playing fantasy football then you already knew that.  Kittle is coming off an injury-plagued season and the 49ers just drafted a potential franchise QB with the 3^rd pick in the NFL Draft.  How does this affect his dynasty outlook?

Career Stats (2017-2020)

TE Season Ranks

George Kittle is 27 years old and will be turning 28 during the 2021 season.  Kittle has been a top 3 TE in fantasy points per game the last three seasons, and there is no reason that will stop now.  He is a beast at yards after the catch (YAC) with a career average of 7.77 YAC per reception (2018-2020).  Over those same three seasons other top TEs fall short in YAC/R: Waller 6.9, Engram 6.3, Hockenson 5.6 (2019-2020), Kelce 5.1, Andrews 4.4, and Gesicki 3.6.   The most significant component missing from Kittle’s game is scoring TDs!  He hasn’t scored more than 5 TDs in a season, even in 2018 when he played all 16 games and had a career high 136 targets, 88 receptions, and 1,377 yards.

All have those great stats were attained with adequate to sub-par QBs (Garoppolo ”“ 22 games, Mullens ”“ 9 games, Beathard ”“ 8 games).  Jimmy Garoppolo is currently still on the 49ers roster and the starter on the depth chart.  However, by the time the season starts Trey Lance may be the starting QB.  The 49ers gave up a lot of draft capital to move up to the 3^rd pick and selected Trey Lance.  Lance will be the 49ers’ starting QB at some point, either by Week 1, during the season, or by 2022.  Some analysts see Lance as a project QB because he comes from the FCS (North Dakota State) and has only played 19 games (2 in 2018, 16 in 2019, and 1 in 2020).  Trey Lance has a strong arm and great mobility, which should help him perform well as he learns how to adjust to the speed of the NFL and defensive schemes.  Lance is still raw and needs to continue develop his processing skill and reading NFL defenses.  Bottom line, at this point we do not know who will start the most games at QB in 2021 for the 49ers.What does all of this mean for George Kittle’s dynasty value?  No matter how you feel about the QB situation or Kittle coming off an injury-plagued season, he is a top 3 TE.  You could argue Travis Kelce (31 years old) or Darren Waller (28 years old) to be around George Kittle’s value.  Kittle has put up amazing stats without scoring a lot of TDs.  Trey Lance could unlock Shanahan’s offense within the next couple of seasons and Kittle could start putting up double-digit TDs.  If you want to acquire George Kittle then you will need to put together a package with an early 1^st round 2021 pick and at least one young talented player.  If it is a TE premium league than the perception of value will be even higher and it will take more picks/players to acquire George Kittle.  The top tier of TEs is small and Kittle is in that tier, so it will take significant capital to get him on your team.  However, if you are rebuilding and think you are a couple years away from contending then you may want to trade away Kittle sometime during this season.  When it seems like his value is peaking this season you can get a massive haul of young assets and 1^st round picks to continue to help your rebuild because Kittle will be 30 years old in a couple seasons.  Even with the current QB uncertainty, Kittle will continue to be a dominant, high scoring TE and we haven’t seen is best season yet!

The post George Kittle’s dynasty outlook with Trey Lance appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Andy Martinez

The San Francisco 49ers shocked the world on Thursday night when the team decided to take quarterback Trey Lance with the 3^rd overall pick in this year’s draft. 

While there was talk of possibly taking Mac Jones at No. 3, it was ultimately Trey Lance whose name was called at the podium. In fact, according to Kyle Shanahan, Lance was the player they were targeting all along. 

“When we made the trade, we knew exactly where we were going while we were doing it”¦ I knew how we felt about Trey the whole time, and to watch everyone just assume it was the ”˜other guy’ [Mac Jones], we weren’t going to work to correct that” ”“ Kyle Shanahan per 49ers PR

Lance, who only spent one season as a starter for the North Dakota Bison, threw for over 2,768 yards, 28 touchdowns and zero interceptions. His arm talent, mobility, and mental capacity to lead a team checked all the boxes for the 49ers. However, it was his potential at the next level that inspired the team to take a chance on him at No. 3, making him only the third quarterback in 49ers history to be selected in the first round of the NFL Draft.

However, even drafted as high as he was, Lance is still the most raw and inexperienced quarterback in his draft class. How exactly does being drafted by the 49ers put him in the best situation out of his counterparts this year’s class? 

For starters, Lance may have landed in a pile of gold (no pun intended). Far too often, we see quarterback prospects flop at the next level for a number of a different reasons. One of the biggest is the lack of a strong supporting cast, on and off the field. For reference, just look at Sam Darnold’s time with the New York Jets. Fortunately for Lance, that does not appear to be the case. 

 The 49ers are a loaded team with talent primed to win right now. Lance will have the luxury of developing as an NFL quarterback behind a bolstered offensive line that includes the likes of Pro-bowlers Trent Richardson and Alex Mack clearing the way for a very potent running game. He’ll also have some great receiving weapons in Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel, and of course All-Pro tight end, George Kittle.

The post Does Trey Lance have the best rookie situation? appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Zach Owen

A string of major injuries coupled with some less than stellar play led to a pretty disappointing year for San Francisco, especially coming off a Super Bowl run in 2019. They still have a solid defense, with young stars like Nick Bosa and Fred Warner, but their offense needs to figure some things out. Fortunately, after trading up to the third pick, SF is primed to take a top-tier rookie QB (though who it will be though is a topic for another article). In addition to a new shiny QB though, they’re going to need some other offensive players to take a step up. Let’s take a look at some players SF should be hopeful about in 2021.

Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk

Deebo Samuel was one of the players taken out with injuries in 2020. In the games he played though, he was a player you wanted to get the ball to. He had 401 YAC in just 33 receptions which is an insane 12.1 YAC/rec. This was the first out of all players with at least 20 receptions in 2020 (with second coming in at 10.1 YAC/rec). If that doesn’t convince you how much of a YAC monster he was, how about the fact that he had more YAC (401) than he did total receiving yards (391)?  Basically, Samuel is a real playmaker with the ball in his hands, no question about it. The injuries (including a foot fracture that required surgery) could definitely have an impact but if Samuel comes back healthy, he will be a difference-maker for SF.

Now Aiyuk had a couple of minor injuries last year as well but only ever missed one game at a time from them. With George Kittle and Samuel missing multiple games, Aiyuk stepped up and became the #1 that SF needed. During weeks where Kittle and Samuel were out and Aiyuk played (weeks 10, 14, and 15) Aiyuk’s per-game averages were 14.3 targets, 8.6 receptions, and 89 yards. It’s a very very small sample size but a 14.3 target average would have put him 1st overall in 2020 with 2nd place being Stefon Diggs at 10.4. He’s got a bit of work to do on his efficiency with 6.2 yards per target and 60% catch rate during those three games but he was just a rookie (during the COVID season) and showed he has the skills to be a big player when needed.

SF is going to have a scary receiving corps over the next few years with Kittle, Samuel, and Aiyuk primed and ready to ball out. Whichever QB they draft at #3 is going to be set up to succeed right out of the gate.

Jeff Wilson and Wayne Gallman

On the other side of the offense, it looks like SF is set up to go with an RB by committee approach again in 2021. They have three RBs that all have performed reasonably well when given the opportunity but none of them really scream lead RB. Both Wilson and Gallman came in for an injured lead back last year and actually performed pretty well. Wilson had multiple 100+ rushing yard weeks and Gallman had a five-game streak where he averaged over 80 yards per game (which would have put him 4th overall last year in yards per game).

Mostert did start off hot in Weeks 1 and 2 but got injured and never really got back to full form. He does seem to have the highest receiving ceiling of the three so I expect him to play a decent amount. He is 29 though so, in addition to his injuries, I expect him to lose his top spot to either Wilson or Gallman. Naming either of those two as a “breakout candidate” would probably be exaggerating a bit but I do expect one, or both, of these guys to take a step up from last year. Regardless, SF is set up with a pretty solid RB committee which should be more than enough considering their stout defense and really exciting receiving group.

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