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At this stage of the 49ers’ rankings, there’s a bit of hand-wringing in separating one from another. It’s a group which highlights the team’s quality of depth and features players who would almost assuredly start on every other team in the league.
15. Kwon Alexander
Were it not for devastating pectoral and bicep tears, Alexander would be higher on this list. It’s not fair to assume that his woeful postseason performance, clearly a result of returning from injury too soon, is indicative of how he’ll play this season, but for a player who is so violent at the point of attack, it’s a genuine concern. A fully healthy Alexander, like the one we saw at the start of last season, would be in Deebo Samuel’s spot at No. 11.
Even if he’s not the same, Alexander’s speed and intelligence in pass coverage are elite by any measure. He and Fred Warner as a tandem provided the athleticism and awareness necessary to allow the 49ers to make the switch to a nickel-base defense. Qualitatively, his on-field presence and penchant for electrifying plays boosts the entire defense, and at his best, his one of the rangiest linebacker in the NFL.
14. Jaquiski Tartt
Much of what makes Tartt so outstanding is not immediately apparent. He’s the most quiet contributor to the 49ers defense, which reveals how crucial he is. When do you notice Tartt? When it’s Adrian Colbert or Marcell Harris at strong safety. Sure, it’s nice to have a sparkplug-type guy with a penchant for big hits on run downs. It’s sure as hell exciting.
But Tartt simply does what he’s supposed to, and that often results in a lack of highlights. His relationship with Jimmy Ward is a symbiosis of sorts. Their years of playing together provide a sort of telekinetic connection where both tend to almost always know where to be at the right time. Tartt is reliable in the run game and tracks receivers and often takes coverage duties against tight ends. He’s the glue of the defense, and without him, things start to fray.
13. K’Waun Williams
Williams may well be the best nickel corner in football. While he has a ceiling for how many snaps he can play because of that position, he played nearly 60 percent of the 49ers’ snaps last season. He was every bit deserving of the ironic, but fitting nickname “Killer Whale” he’s called by his teammates.
Williams often had to play man coverage against tight ends that were nearly a foot taller. Despite standing at 5’9″, Williams plays well above his size and wreaks havoc on the limited, but devastating times he’s allowed to rush. He was the team’s leader with five forced fumbles, including a sack fumble in the playoffs, along with two interceptions last season. Just as Fred Warner and Alexander were key in allowing San Francisco to switch to mostly nickel, Williams’ propensity to play aggressive as a tackler, and work essentially as a dominant coverage linebacker, was monumental in the success of the defense.
12. Kyle Juszczyk
Juszczyk is the best fullback in football, and while the competition is slim, it doesn’t take away from what he does for the offense. He’s a reliable pass blocker, but it’s his effect in the run game that’s so valuable, in addition to his well-known pass-catching ability. When there’s an outside zone run, Juszczyk very often finds himself as the lead blocker. He may not be as physically domineering as his predecessor in Baltimore, Vonta Leach, but he uses his intelligence to cut down angles at the point of attack.
The fact that he is a fullback has allowed him to consistently find mismatches, and become one of the most consistent deep threats the 49ers have. Along with George Kittle and Deebo Samuel, he’s a jack-of-all trades type of player, an offensive weapon in a sport which is increasingly valuing athleticism and positional versatility.
11. Deebo Samuel
If Samuel can remain healthy and continue the foundation he’s created for himself, there’s zero doubt he will soon be one of the NFL’s elite wide receivers. He already scratched at that upper echelon as a rookie, and that’s with substantial room to grow as a downfield threat.
Along with Kittle, he’s one of the NFL dominant yards-after-catch threats. Samuel had a few issues with drops early on, but actually finished as one of the league’s most reliable pass catchers, hauling in 70.37 percent of his targets. With another year of understanding Kyle Shanahan’s offense, the possibilities for Samuel’s growth are tantalizing.