San Francisco 49ers: 5 Players Who Exceeded Expectations in 2015

The San Francisco 49ers’ 2015 campaign is over and finished with a disappointing 5-11 record. But a number of players performed above expectation during the season, which leads to some hope for the upcoming year. Niner Noise takes a look at five of these overachievers.

The majority of the 2015 campaign for the San Francisco 49ers was disappointing as the team scuffled to a 5-11 finish, a last-place berth in the NFC West and the eventual dismissal of head coach Jim Tomsula following Week 17.

San Francisco’s offense finished dead last with just 238 total points. The defense, while respectable at home, ranked No. 18 in the league with 387 points against. In general, the 49ers were boring, ill-prepared and under-equipped over the course of 16 games.

But there are some positives. A good chunk of the overwhelmingly young Niners roster impressed over the course of the season.

Players like these should be the cornerstones around which the franchise looks to build during this offseason and in future years. Unlike the dreadful 2004 season, this 49ers team does have some budding talent — a nice mix of younger veterans and up-and-coming contributors.

So, while most of the news surrounding San Francisco has been bad last season, let’s take a look at some of the positives seen on the field from the 49ers’ 2015 efforts.

Each one of these players on this list exceeded expectations and could wind up being key cogs in the Niners’ plans to make some headway next year.

Next: Blaine Gabbert