NFL Power Rankings: 49ers Placed in a Middling Position

NFL power rankings take multiple shifts throughout the offseason.

It usually occurs after free agency for one iteration, then another iteration after the NFL draft. Some other factors come into play as well, but that is the basis.

A fair share of outlets have the San Francisco 49ers floating close to or around the top 10, except for Pro Football Network. They have the 49ers placed in a middling position at No. 16 following the schedule release.

The Arizona Cardinals are one spot ahead of him, which is a little disrespectful. Here is their lengthy explanation for the 49ers' middling rank.

"The 49ers have a 62.3% chance of making the playoffs and a 21.2% chance of winning their division. That all equates to their 32.5% chance of actually making the division round, the top figure of any of the wild card contenders (teams ranked outside the top 10 here).

"After years of high-level Super Bowl contention, the 49ers underwent a transition offseason. No team lost more in free agency based on total contract value handed out, and no team took on more dead money. Without Samuel, Javon Hargrave, Charvarius Ward, Greenlaw, or Hufanga (among many others), San Francisco won’t look quite the same in 2025.

"In the meantime, the Niners needed a big draft to offset many of their losses. They attacked the defensive line early, landing edge rusher Mykel Williams and defensive tackle Alfred Collins. San Francisco is also hoping Oklahoma State’s Nick Martin can help replace Greenlaw. The NFC West is getting stronger, and the 49ers will need to be better defensively (26th in Defense+ last season) if they want to compete."

I would have placed the 49ers at least ahead of the Cardinals. I'd like to think the 49ers are a No. 14 NFL power ranking team, especially since they follows the schedule release.

So, some context is based on who they are playing. The 49ers have a lot of easy stretches in 2025, but it's always a tough criterion with power rankings.

The 49ers should be ranked at No. 14, which places them slightly out of the middling area, while also providing a path to get higher.

Regardless, the 49ers can only change these rankings when the regular season begins.