NFL.com Ranks the 49ers' Rookie Class 8th-Best in 2024

The 49ers' Super Bowl window isn't wide open like it used to be, but last year's rookie class will keep it slightly ajar for now.

From 2020 to 2023, the 49ers missed on high draft picks at an alarming rate -- that's a big reason they've become one of the oldest teams in the NFL. So they needed to have a great draft last year. And they did.

NFL.com recently ranked all 32 rookie classes from 2024, and the 49ers' rookie class finished 8th.

"San Francisco’s first-round pick, Ricky Pearsall, missed most of OTAs, minicamp and training camp due to hamstring and shoulder injuries," writes NFL.com deputy editor Gennaro Filice. "Then he missed the first six games of the season after suffering a gunshot wound in an attempted robbery. And yet, despite all that lost time, he showed plenty of potential down the stretch, catching 14 passes for 210 yards and two touchdowns in the final two weeks of the season.

"But the 49ers obviously don’t crack the top 10 on this list because of that pick -- rather, this ranking is fueled by the four selections that followed. Second-rounder Renardo Green really came on with increased playing time in the second half of the season, ultimately setting the franchise’s rookie record with 13 pass breakups.

"Third-rounder Dominick Puni was a stud from stem to stern, starting all 17 games at right guard and leading the entire team in snaps. An agile weapon in the run game, Puni shined in Kyle Shanahan’s scheme, and his mature approach drew steady praise from veteran teammates. In the fourth round, San Francisco found two staples of this regime: a hard-hitting safety (Malik Mustapha) and a dangerous one-cut back (Isaac Guerendo)."

The 49ers seem to have drafted four starters -- Pearsall, Green, Puni and Mustapha -- plus a quality backup in Guerendo. That's a terrific draft. In 2020, the only starter they drafted was Brock Purdy. That was a terrible draft with one incredibly lucky last pick.

Now the 49ers need to have another killer draft this offseason to make up ground in the NFC because most of their cap space will go to players already on the team. Which means they need to draft starters at defensive tackle, linebacker, free safety and left guard, plus they need to draft a swing tackle to replace Jaylon Moore.

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