5 Biggest Questions Facing 49ers Against Seahawks

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5 Biggest Questions Facing 49ers Against Seahawks

Originally posted on San Francisco 49ers on SI
By Parker Hurley | Last updated Oct 9, 2026 12:00 PM ET

With the San Francisco 49ers sitting at 4-0, they now face their biggest test of the season with a road matchup against the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks. What are the biggest questions the 49ers have to answer in Week 5?

5 Biggest Questions Facing San Francisco 49ers

Can a third WR step up?

The 49ers essentially have two receivers on their current roster. Mike Evans has 213 receiving yards. Deebo Samuel has 185 receiving yards. Demarcus Robinson is next with 84 yards, and he is on the IR.

Jordan Watkins currently has 60 yards, while Khadarel Hodge has 18. They need somebody to step up.

Will the interior OL hold up?

The 49ers' interior offensive line has been one of the most impressive revelations of the season. However, they are going to see a much tougher test with the Seattle Seahawks. Byron Murphy and Leonard Williams have typically had their way with this group.

Still, Connor Colby and Dominick Puni look much improved from last season. Do they hold up?

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Will Deommodore Lenoir follow Jaxon Smith-Njigba?

Last season it was notable that the defensive coordinator Robert Saleh did not have Lenoir move from his outside spot to follow Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Raheem Morris said that Lenoir will not follow him everywhere, but noted that they have the ability to move Lenoir around more often than they did in recent years.

The Seahawks can move Smith-Njigba around and get him away from Lenoir, but we could see more of Lenoir in the slot this week than in past years?

Where does Mykel Williams align in debut?

Morris did not draft Mykel Williams, so it will be interesting to see how he aligns in the 49ers new defense. Williams is an edge rusher, but did most of his damage along the interior last year. Morris runs more five-man fronts than Saleh did last year. So, Williams can be a five-technique as an interior base end more than we saw as a rookie.

Do we see a more versatile Williams in this defense?

How do the 49ers replace Juszczyk?

The 49ers' loss of Kyle Juszczyk is magnified by the reality that Jake Tonges is hurt and the team does not have a quality third wide receiver. They have their stars at receivers, tight end, and running back. The fifth skill player is almost always going to be a weak link at the moment. How do the 49ers fix that issue?

This article first appeared on San Francisco 49ers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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