Getty George Kittle prepares to stiff arm Deion Jones of the Falcons on December 19, 2021.
There are analysts who cover the NFL who have noticed the abundance of depth the San Francisco 49ers possess heading into the 2022 season.
So much so, that even with naming off the three best players on the 49ers‘ roster, it’s still considered too short by some.
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Pro Football Focus analyst Ben Linsey compiled a list of the three best players on every NFL roster including the ones who wear the 49er colors. While Linsey and PFF used their analytical metrics to determine who the top trio are, they also pinpointed key stats.
But while the three 49ers named off are All-Pro talents, there were two notable snubs from the top three who managed to make their “also considered” list. Here’s who PFF named.
The Trio Who Represents the 49ers
The PFF three are: Offensive tackle Trent Williams, defensive end Nick Bosa and tight end George Kittle. Here’s what Linsey wrote:
“Williams has been nearly as dominant on the offensive line in his two seasons with the 49ers as (Aaron) Donald (of the Los Angeles Rams) has been on the other side of the line of scrimmage. Williams’ 96.8 PFF grade since 2020 is over six points higher than any other tackle in the league with at least 1,000 snaps played. Bosa and Kittle, when healthy, are also both among the best in the league at their respective positions. That was true for Bosa even as a rookie in 2019, when he recorded 80 quarterback pressures (sixth among all edge rushers).”
However, the two notable snubs? Fellow All-Pros Fred Warner and Deebo Samuel.
“The fact that Warner or Samuel don’t crack the list speaks to the quality of talent on San Francisco’s roster,” Linsey wrote.
Williams, entering his 13th season in the league, has been no stranger to receiving a bevy of praise from the analytics website. In fact, back on February 16, he shattered a record belonging to the website:
Trent Williams with the best season PFF has ever seen 🤯
And at one point during the tail end of the 2021 season, Williams was one point shy of a 100 grade by PFF.
It doesn’t get better than Trent Williams 🤯
Bosa has been another 49er who received a 90 or higher grade by PFF before.
Nick Bosa takes it to another level in the postseason
He also holds this title: The best talent in the NFL for the 25 and younger group, mentioned in this Heavy on 49ers story from May 19.
As for Kittle, here’s one notable grade he received from the analytics site: The highest graded player among his position group over the last three seasons:
Highest graded TEs over the last three seasons:
🥇 George Kittle – 93.7
🥈 Travis Kelce – 92.7
🥉 Mark Andrews – 91.5
Warner & Samuel’s PFF Notes
While Warner didn’t make the 49ers’ PFF top three, the 2020 All-Pro did land on one “elite tier” list by the site on May 24.
The fifth-year ‘backer landed at No. 1 by PFF’s Sam Monson in their linebacker ratings. Warner was categorized in the “Tier 1: Elite Few” group and was placed ahead of three-time All-Pro Darius Leonard. Monson wrote:
“The best linebackers in today’s league are elite coverage players, but they can also affect the game in other ways. Warner had a transformative effect on the 49ers defense when he became the starter. And even though he hasn’t quite been able to maintain an elite level of play every season, his impact on the field is obvious.”
Meanwhile, Samuel — who is still a contract holdout for the 49ers and was the subject of trade rumblings during the offseason — was named in the “Tier 2: Young Talent on the Cusp of Tier 1” category by Monson and PFF for the WR rankings. PFF stated:
“Since the end of the 2021 season, Samuel’s status as a 49er has been in flux. But while San Francisco may not be the team that will pay him the most money, it is the one that can best utilize his dynamism.
“Previously self-dubbed a “wide-back,” Samuel can make plays both as a receiver and runner, and he was one of four wide receivers to earn an elite PFF grade above 90.0. He averaged an NFL-leading 10.8 yards after the catch per reception while shedding 27 tackles. On the ground, Samuel picked up 14 explosive runs of 10-plus yards and broke 28 tackles on 86 carries.”
Lastly, one former 49er earned a top three player honor at his new post. Guard and Pro Bowler Laken Tomlinson was named as one of the New York Jets’ top three players by PFF.