The 49ers will at all times want their stars to point out up, however this 12 months’s success may in the end come right down to a handful of newcomers that joined the crew this offseason.
Whereas San Francisco returns the likes of Nick Bosa, George Kittle and others, some gamers added earlier than this season will get alternatives to fill big-time roles and make big impacts of their first 12 months in pink and gold.
A few of the new roles shall be greater than others, however these seven new 49ers will every have a shot to make a big impact in 2022:
CB Charvarius Ward
(AP Picture/Jeff Chiu)
The 49ers wanted some assurances at cornerback after a tough 2021 marketing campaign for that spot on their roster. Ward was their greatest offseason signing and he instantly upgraded their CB room. San Francisco wanted a dependable choice throughout from Emmanuel Moseley and Ward offers them that. Final 12 months Ward pulled down a pair of interceptions, broke up 11 passes, and held quarterbacks to a 51 % completion price and a 73.6 QB score per Professional Soccer Focus. If he and Moseley are wholesome the 49ers will be capable to pair an excellent cross rush with what could possibly be a wonderful group of cornerbacks.
DE Drake Jackson
Jackson could not have an every-down function from Day 1, however at the same time as a rotational cross rusher he’ll get a ton of alternatives to make performs. He’s an excellent athlete who confronted some adversity in school with totally different teaching staffs altering his function and by no means letting him settle in as a rush-first defensive finish. Jackson nonetheless managed to submit 12.5 sacks and 25 tackles for loss with USC. Now with the 49ers he’ll get to give attention to dashing the passer alongside the likes of Nick Bosa and Arik Armstead, which ought to give him early alternatives to fill the stat sheet even when snaps are restricted out of the gate.
RB Tyrion Davis-Value
Davis-Value is a tough again to deal with. His school numbers don’t leap off the web page since he wasn’t featured a lot at LSU till his third season. What does leap off the web page is his tackle-breaking and success in short-yardage conditions. Davis-Value ought to at worst be a aim line and short-yardage again for the 49ers to begin his profession, however there’s an opportunity the third-round choose splits carries with RB Elijah Mitchell and finds his method into common snaps no matter scenario.
CB Samuel Womack
The 2022 fifth-round choose could wind up beginning at nickel nook in his rookie season. That will put Womack underneath a reasonably vital microscope since he’ll be changing Okay’Waun Williams, who left for Denver in free company. Nevertheless, whereas it could be a large function for the teen to tackle, he’s not new to overcoming lengthy odds. He walked on at Toledo, went on to earn a scholarship, and led the crew in cross breakups in every of his last three seasons. The slot nook job shall be a major gap for the 49ers to fill in coaching camp, and the rookie from Toledo has pretty much as good a shot as anybody else on the roster to make his mark on the protection by taking over one its most necessary jobs.
LB Oren Burks/S George Odum
Burks and Odum share this one as a result of their roles are the identical. They’re going to be tasked with serving to a putrid 49ers particular groups unit that was chargeable for the 2 longest touchdowns San Francisco allowed final 12 months. The 49ers’ particular groups final 12 months completed twenty sixth in Soccer Outsiders’ DVOA final 12 months. Each Burks and Odum thrived on particular groups with their earlier golf equipment, which is why San Francisco added each in free company. Their influence could not at all times be apparent, however any enchancment to the 49ers’ particular groups teams shall be useful in successful video games.
WR Danny Grey
Grey could not have a very polished recreation simply but, however he’s very quick. It reveals on tape and in his 4.33 40-yard sprint time. There needs to be alternatives for him to be a recreation changer on offense even when he will not be able to step into an everyday receiving function. His skill to take the highest off a protection, mixed with Trey Lance’s massive arm, will give the 49ers’ passing recreation a vertical ingredient it has missed the previous couple of years. If he can develop a rapport with Lance the place he can make the most of that velocity on scrambles, he may flip restricted snaps into some big-time manufacturing.