49ers Receiving Corps Ranked Top-5 Despite Concerns

The San Francisco 49ers took an unexpected cliff dive in 2024 with a 6-11 record, but there remains optimism that 2025 could see them climb back.

Kyle Shanahan's offense returns nearly all major contributors (something the defense can't relate to), with the biggest return being running back Christian McCaffrey after his injury-plagued season.

McCaffrey, when healthy, is among the best pass-catching running backs in NFL history. Even without him and star receiver Brandon Aiyuk (ACL injury in Week 7) for most of the season, the Niners finished with the fourth-best passing attack at 249.1 yards per game.

Franchise quarterback Brock Purdy saw a dip statistically, but still managed to work with what he had to hit this mark - and he was rewarded financially for it this offseason.

So amid the recovery of Aiyuk, the departure of Deebo Samuel in a trade, and the potential hesitation around McCaffrey's reassertion, how will this passing attack look in 2025?

Pro Football Focus believes it's still among the elite groups in the NFL, slotting in at fifth in their receiving corps rankings.

"The 49ers' receiving corps is an unknown," writes Trevor Sikkema. "But the fact of the matter is, McCaffrey has earned 84.0-plus PFF receiving grades in six of his eight seasons, including the last one in which he was fully healthy (2023), and Aiyuk was one of the highest graded receivers in the league (91.7) in 2023."

McCaffrey is poised to be ready Week 1, having been reported looking healthy and explosive in offseason workouts so far. Shanahan may put a lot of pressure on those legs to stay healthy with the amount of workload McCaffrey could command, especially in the pass game.

Aiyuk will miss a large chunk of the beginning of the season, playing into that unknown factor. Jauan Jennings turned into a solid option last season, which is a sign of promising potential. Ricky Pearsall, last year's first-round pick, will need to take a step forward with last season's adversity now behind him.

Star tight end George Kittle shined in Aiyuk's absence last season, and San Francisco can't afford to see him miss a beat. He'll turn 32 in October, so each season hereon out could raise questions about his regression. For now, he's still a top-3 tight end in the league. He posted the second-highest PFF receiving grade (92.6) at the position in 2024.

The 49ers have depth and variety in the pass game, so while they may not be fully healthy, they receive the benefit of the doubt and still rank high among the NFL's best receiving corps.