Did the Niners make enough improvements on both sides of the ball?
For years, the San Francisco 49ers have been known to have one of the strongest rosters in the NFL, regardless of who was playing quarterback.
That wasn’t the case in 2024, as injuries deeply hurt the 49ers, who had a disappointing 6-11 season, missing the playoffs for the first time in four years. Defensively, San Francisco was below-average against the run, while the 49ers couldn’t get a consistent offense going, be it on the ground or in the air.
As a result, San Francisco had a much different offseason than in years past, electing to retool by releasing or trading several veterans, while key free agents headed elsewhere.
Instead, the 49ers looked to get younger, fixating primarily on the 2025 NFL Draft, where they had a defensive-heavy approach and selected 11 players. Now, with a last-place schedule, San Francisco is looking to return to the playoffs, having extended stars Brock Purdy, George Kittle, and Fred Warner on massive deals.
With their new-look roster, are the 49ers back to being a complete team in 2025? NFL Network’s Eric Edholm ranked his top 10 most complete teams ahead of the upcoming season, and there were the expected names at the top.
The Philadelphia Eagles, Detroit Lions, Baltimore Ravens, and Kansas City Chiefs led the way as the top four spots, respectively. But, the 49ers weren’t far behind, coming in at eighth on Edholm’s rankings.
“Last season’s meltdown can’t be ignored, and neither can this offseason’s major departures on both sides of the line and in the secondary,” Edholm wrote. “But if the 49ers bounce back health-wise, their core of talent should help them rebound in the standings.”
Health is arguably the biggest factor for the 49ers in 2025. While they got younger as a whole, veterans such as Christian McCaffrey and Trent Williams are only getting older, while other stars also missed time last season.
But, the 49ers do have their quarterback locked and loaded for the remainder of the offseason after Purdy signed a five-year, $265 million deal earlier this month to remain in San Francisco.
“Brock Purdy earned his new long-term deal,” Edholm continued. “Though some doubters might question whether he’s a top-10 quarterback, the 49ers are better off with him than they would have been with any reasonable alternative, operating behind what should be at least a solid offensive line. Christian McCaffrey is one of the best players in the league when healthy, and George Kittle remains among the finer tight ends, even if he’ll turn 32 this season. Brandon Aiyuk, coming off a knee injury, is a question mark, but Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall appear ready to step up into bigger roles after the exit of Deebo Samuel.”
Defensively, the pieces are in place, but it’s all about the rookies. San Francisco opted for defense with each of their first five picks, and all of those selections should have a role this season.
“They feature a strong group of linebackers and a true pass-rush difference-maker in Nick Bosa, and they bolstered the overall talent on defense with six draft picks, all of whom could be factors as rookies, especially first-rounder Mykel Williams, DTs Alfred Collins and CJ West and LB Nick Martin,” Edholm wrote. “The problem is, the defensive interior lacks depth, and the secondary remains riddled with questions. Can Robert Saleh, back in the defensive coordinator chair he occupied from 2017 to 2020, work his magic?
“It wasn’t as easy to justify a spot on this list for the 49ers, who also carry major special-teams worries, this season. But they should be helped by a favorable schedule, and it’s not like they were suddenly sapped of most of their talent. The bottom line is, if the pendulum swings back and San Francisco receives far less bad luck on the injury front, this team should return to prominence.”
There are still a lot of questions for the 49ers to answer ahead of the 2025 season. But, they’re already perceived as one of the top 10 most complete teams in the NFL. Now, it’s time to parlay that into a playoff appearance, and possibly even more.