The Five Most Important Young Players on the 49ers this Season

Ricky Pearsall might've had the worst season imaginable last year, and it has nothing to do with his on-field performance. He started the offseason by getting shot in San Francisco, which did not bode well for his success. He began to perform near the end of the season, and fans were finally able to get a fair evaluation of his talent on the field.

Now, Ricky gets to have his true first season in the NFL, and he's going to need to perform. Last season, the 49ers averaged nearly 0.7 fewer yards after the catch than in any prior season. That is a key part of the Kyle Shanahan system, YAC, and if receivers are unable to continue that philosophy, it will be tough to be successful.

That's where Ricky can come in. Last season, Ricky was below average in separation and AVG YAC. If he is going to succeed this season, he needs to improve greatly, and the fact that he is finally going to have a full year gives me hope he can.

Ji'Ayir Brown

Brown has had an interesting career in SF. He got to be a starter in the Super Bowl in his rookie season. Fans believed he would easily be the starter in 2024, but it did not go that way. Malik Mustapha emerged as an electric player and quickly passed Brown in the depth chart. After that, there wasn't much to see from him. Brown ended the season with an Overall PFF Grade of 64.8, putting him at 78th out of 171 strong safeties.

Now that Mustapha is on the PUP list, it seems like it's Brown's opportunity to show the team he's still a starter. If Brown can improve his coverage and run defense, he should easily be a big contributor among his secondary counterparts. If not, the 49ers' secondary might be doomed.

Alfred Collins

This is a name that we will not see quickly. According to the 49ers Unofficial Depth Chart, Collins is listed as the backup to Jordan Elliot. Elliot has had 48 career starts, putting him as the clear starter, but you don't draft a DT in the second round unless you want some competition.

Collins has plenty of physical traits that stand out, but he needs some time to learn the NFL game to become a contributor. Maintaining his pad-level is the main thing I've noticed, but I firmly believe that if he can improve, he will easily be a starting DT for this team that is disrupting the Line of Scrimmage.

Dee Winters

Winters has been touted as the Dre Greenlaw replacement throughout training camp. Players and coaches establish how much they believe in him and how they expect him to have a breakout season. Honestly, what else do I need to say? He has Fred Warner and Robert Salah hyping him up, and has shown some great interceptions in training camp. He looks like a different player to me, but forget about me; let's just have Fred Warner make it clearer.

“I’ve seen a guy who’s ready to take that next step. You know, Dee has flashed in a big way through his first two seasons. And I think Year 3 is that year where it’s like, ‘Man, I know the system. I know what I needed to do in the offseason. And now it’s time for me to take control and really put it on tape.’ I’m excited for Dee, really.”Fred Warner

Mykel Williams

Williams is the only rookie who was listed as a starter on the Unofficial 49ers Depth Chart, and rightfully so. The 49ers haven't had a physical specimen at the Edge, besides Nick Bosa, in years. Mykel fills that hole perfectly. Having him on the Edge will give Nick Bosa much more free grass to run on.

Even with Mykel needing plenty more time to learn the NFL game, his natural abilities will allow this team to find the QB. Assuming he learns quickly, he could easily be a Defensive Rookie of the Year Candidate. And if he does that, he'll easily be the best youth contributor for the 49ers.

Check out the full depth chart here:

ROSTER/DEPTH CHART