San Francisco 49ers Depth Chart 2018 49ers Depth Chart

Preseason Analysis: 49ers Have High Expectations

Things are coming along very nicely for San Francisco, as it started last season getting Jimmy Garoppolo from New England. Marquise Goodwin made steps in the right direction, as did Aldrick Robinson when given the opportunity. Pierre Garcon adds some stability, but isn’t exactly a huge threat at this stage in his career. San Francisco looks to be run on efficiency than volume here, so things will be fairly tight as far as stable production in this receiving core. San Francisco will look to George Kittle a bit more this season, who is in his second year. With Kyle Shanahan coaching and running the offense, there is a lot of hype around Jerick McKinnon right now. McKinnon is looking to have a top role in this offense, but Joseph Williams is someone to keep an eye on as someone who can get in on some action given McKinnon isn’t a 25+ touch guy. The process is in the right direction, but a few pieces will need to be added to really get them back in contention as a top NFC team. Another wide receiver would be a good place to start, as Garcon cannot be your WR1, with no disrespect to him.

The San Francisco 49ers are an iconic NFL franchise that owns five Super Bowl titles, but they have really struggled to build a winning team over the last four years. The 2017 season got off to a disastrous start with the team losing their first nine games, but a mid-season trade with the New England Patriots completely changed the outlook of the franchise. The 49ers acquired quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo in October, and he won all five games he started with San Francisco. Since they finished so well last year, the San Francisco 49ers did not make a lot of changes in the off-season. The biggest change to the offense came at the running back position. After losing Carlos Hyde in free agency to the Cleveland Browns, the 49ers signed Jerick McKinnon to a four-year contract. Losing Hyde may seem like a big blow to the team, but McKinnon is actually a better fit for the team's offensive scheme. Kyle Shanahan loves to get his running backs involved in the passing game, and that is exactly where McKinnon thrives. His speed and elusiveness make him a deadly weapon catching the ball out of the backfield.

The only other major changes to the offense are on the offensive line. Weston Richburg signed a five-year contract in the off-season to become San Francisco's starting center. First-round draft pick Mike McGlinchey will get the first shot at the starting right tackle position. The 49ers struggled to protect the quarterback last year, but that should not be an issue in 2018. If Jimmy Garoppolo gets time to sit in the pocket, then he is going to destroy the opposing defense. While the 49ers know they will have an excellent offense this season, the same thing can't be said about the defense. Arik Armstead and Malcom Smith are key members of the starting lineup that are coming back from serious injuries. The team will also be forced to play without Reuben Foster for the first two games of the season thanks to his arrest in the off-season. Despite all of the question marks, the San Francisco defense is still improved from last year. The signing of Richard Sherman gave the team the shutdown cornerback they have desperately needed over the last few years. Sherman is still rehabbing an Achilles injury, but he should be fully healthy before the start of the preseason. The addition of Sherman should make it a lot easier for Jimmy Ward and the other cornerbacks to make big plays since they will not be forced to cover the opposing team's top wide receiver. Now that they have a franchise quarterback, the San Francisco 49ers will be playoff contenders for a long time. Their success in 2018 will ultimately be determined by the success of the defense. An average performance from the defense should be good enough to help this team win nine games. That will not be enough to win the NFC West division, but it could land the 49ers a playoff spot via the wild card.