Grading the 49ers position by position as they enter Week 8

Brock Purdy and Mac Jones have different styles of play, yet their performance has been oddly similar this season. Purdy has thrown 4 touchdown passes and 4 interceptions -- Jones has thrown 6 touchdown passes and 4 interceptions. Both of them are dealing with a subpar offensive line and injuries to lots of skill position players, so neither one has been great.

But Jones has stayed healthy while Purdy has gotten injured twice in two starts and will miss his sixth game of the season on Sunday. Purdy likes to hold the ball longer, throw the ball farther downfield and scramble, three things that lead to injury. Jones is more willing to throw the ball to his first read if it's open. He doesn't hunt big plays like Purdy does.

RUNNING BACKS: C

Christian McCaffrey essentially is playing like he did in 2024, just at a higher volume. He deserves tremendous credit for staying healthy while leading the NFL in touches at 29 years old, but he's averaging 3.5 yards per carry and he still hasn't recorded a run of longer than 15 yards.

He's not explosive anymore, which means the 49ers offense isn't explosive right now, because he gets the ball every other play. They might score more points if they reduce his touches and use him as a decoy more often.

TIGHT ENDS: C-PLUS

George Kittle has missed all but two games, so he's just getting started. Still, he's a vital part of their running game. They literally can't run the ball without him blocking at the point of attack. And while Jake Tonges is not a good blocker, he is a surprisingly good receiver who established himself as a red-zone weapon while Kittle was out. The 49ers would be smart to keep throwing to Tonges. He's their secret weapon.

WIDE RECEIVERS: C

Ricky Pearsall has been the best player on the offense when healthy, but he will miss his fourth straight game this Sunday due to a knee injury. He might not be so durable. His replacement has been Kendrick Bourne, who has played shockingly well. He's the best healthy receiver on the team right now.

That's because Jauan Jennings has been injured/horrendous, and Demarcus Robinson has dropped every important pass that has come his way. The 49ers could really use Brandon Aiyuk, but the team says he isn't close to returning.

OFFENSIVE LINEMEN: D

This group is a liability every year. Trent Williams is still good, but no one else is. Connor Colby is terrible. Jake Brendel is injured and not particularly good when healthy. Dominick Puni has regressed dramatically this season. And Colton McKivitz needs constant help. These are the main reasons the 49ers quarterbacks are banged up so often. It's really too bad that the head coach doesn't value this position more.

DEFENSIVE LINEMEN: B-PLUS

They lost Nick Bosa for the year, and yet they're still surprisingly solid. That's because Bryce Huff is one of the best edge rushers in the NFL, even if he can't defend the run, and Mykel Williams is one of the best run defenders in the league, even if he can't rush the quarterback. And Alfred Collins is one of the most improved rookies in football this season. This group has so much potential.

LINEBACKERS: A-MINUS

Fred Warner is out for the season and Dre Greenlaw is a Denver Bronco and the 49ers defense hasn't missed a beat without them, as Tatum Bethune and Dee Winters have shown the potential to be the 49ers' next great linebacker duo. Luke Gifford is terrible, though. The 49ers need to bench him and play rookie Nick Martin.

DEFENSIVE BACKS: A-MINUS

Safeties Marques Sigle and Jason Pinnock got torched early in the season, but they're not starting anymore. They've been replaced by Malik Mustapha and Ji'Ayir Brown, who are playing well. In addition, the 49ers have five quality cornerbacks in Deommodore Lenoir, Renardo Green, Upton Stout, Chase Lucas and Darrell Luter Jr. This group is severely underrated.

SPECIAL TEAMS: A-MINUS

Eddy Pineiro is the MVP of the entire team, considering he has made all 17 of his field goal attempts. Considering how much the offense struggles to score touchdowns, the 49ers have needed every one of those field goals to win five games. The only knock I have for this group is returner Skyy Moore, who makes some strange decisions, such as fielding punts inside the 5-yard line.

COACHES: A-MINUS

Robert Saleh has done an absolute masterful job as the defensive coordinator without Nick Bosa and Fred Warner. You could argue this has been the best season of Saleh's career. He has a bunch of youngsters playing like seasoned vets.

Kyle Shanahan deserves a ton of credit for finding ways to win despite all these injuries, but his offense is the weakest phase of the team. The 49ers are scoring fewer points per game than the Texans offense, which is awful.

Shanahan needs to stop overusing McCaffrey. He's not the best player on the offense anymore. Let everyone contribute the way Saleh finds ways for everyone to make an impact on defense.