The 49ers have one of the top rosters in the NFL thanks in part to their good mix of older veterans and young players. While those veterans may play an outsized in the team contending this year, it’s the group of younger players that will have a larger say in how good the team is down the road.
We took a look at San Francisco’s roster, which features 35 players age 25 and younger, and sorted out which players are the best of that group.
There are some who didn’t make the list, like quarterback Trey Lance, cornerback Samuel Womack or defensive end Drake Jackson who just haven’t played enough to find their way onto the list. They could certainly be among the players who have an impact for San Francisco down the road though. Other players like Sam Darnold or Clelin Ferrell are unlikely to be around long-term.
This list features the top eight 49ers age 25 and younger, and the group that will be key in contributing this year and extending San Francisco’s window as Super Bowl contenders:
DE Nick Bosa, 25
This list gets harder to order as we go on, but Bosa is the undisputed No. 1 of the group. He was the Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2019 and the best player on the field for San Francisco in the Super Bowl. Bosa then turned in a Defensive Player of the Year performance in 2022 when he put up a league-high 18.5 sacks. Over the last two years his 34 sacks are the most in the NFL.
WR Brandon Aiyuk, 25
There are some worthy quibbles about which player goes second, but Aiyuk is coming off a breakout year where he hauled in 78 catches for 1,015 yards and eight touchdowns. He did this despite the 49ers finishing 26th in pass attempts and using three different starting QBs in the regular season. Aiyuk is also perhaps the fourth option in San Francisco’s offense. He’s just a terrific route runner who is open all the time and affects the game at all three levels. For now he’s No. 2 on the list.
LB Dre Greenlaw, 25
The biggest win for Greenlaw last year was the 15 games he played – his most since he played all 16 as a rookie in 2019. It’s not a coincidence that staying on the field helped Greenlaw turn in the best year of his career. He had 127 tackles, six pass breakups and two forced fumbles. On almost every other NFL team he’d be their best off-ball linebacker. Greenlaw’s improvement in coverage was a huge reason the 49ers were so good defensively last year. That group is at its very best when he’s on the field.
SS Talanoa Hufanga, 23
Hufanga is another player who has a strong argument to be No. 2 here. There were a handful of breakdowns in coverage last year due to his aggressive play style that pushed him down the list. However, that aggressive play style was enough to earn him a First-Team All-Pro nod. He is a terror around the line of scrimmage, but he also turned in four interceptions and nine pass breakups last year. Any concerns about his athleticism in the NFL have been assuaged. Hufanga is a flat out good player, and he should only improve with experience.
WR Jauan Jennings, 25
Jennings is just a baller. He spent all of his rookie year in 2020 on the practice squad. Then in 2021 he stepped up late in the year to become a valuable part of the 49ers’ offense. Jennings in the last two years has hauled in 59 receptions for 698 yards and six touchdowns. Of his 59 catches, 35 have come on third down, and 42 of them have resulted in a first down. He’s a chain mover and a dominant run blocker who played nearly half of San Francisco’s offensive snaps last year. It’s easy to see him having a role in a Kyle Shanahan offense for a long time.
RB Elijah Mitchell, 24
Injuries are the only reason Mitchell isn’t higher on this list. In two years as a pro he’s only played in 16 games. However, his production in those 16 games is hard to argue with. As a rookie he posted 963 rushing yards and five touchdowns on just 207 carries in 11 games. Last year he only played in five games and had 279 yards with two touchdowns on 47 carries. Despite sporadic playing time and now a secondary role to fellow RB Christian McCaffrey, Mitchell is still averaging 4.9 yards per carry as a pro and he’s the undisputed No. 2 option in the 49ers’ backfield for 2023.
QB Brock Purdy, 23
There’s an argument to be made for Purdy to move up on this list, but there’s a bit of a sample size issue. He was unbelievably impressive during his six-game stretch to end the regular season for the 49ers. That covers the Dolphins game through Week 18 where Purdy completed 68.3 percent of his throws for 1,308 yards with 13 touchdowns and just three interceptions. The task now is for him to continue that level of production. He’ll need to overcome offseason surgery on the torn UCL he suffered in the NFC championship game first, but if he bounces back from that and continues playing like he played to close last year, it’s hard to see him not launching up a later edition of this list.
CB Deommodore Lenoir, 23
Lenoir is a little bit in the group with Purdy where his ascension has to continue over a full season. The 2021 fifth-round pick was selected in hopes he could play in the slot. Injuries forced him to play outside as a rookie, and again last year. Last year he saw a noticeable improvement as an outside CB. There were hiccups along the way, but Lenoir by the postseason was playing like a legitimate NFL cornerback. He’s in line to start in 2023 and will help the 49ers’ secondary in a huge way if he continues improving.
LG Aaron Banks, 25
Banks looked like an impending disaster when he played just five offensive snaps as a rookie second-round pick. Last year was significantly better. He held down the starting left guard job all season alongside Trent Williams and played 94 percent of the team’s offensive snaps. Banks wasn’t perfect in his first year as a full-time starter, but he played well enough that LG isn’t a need for the 49ers. He deserves a spot on this list.
