Niner Noise
FanSided

San Francisco 49ers: Ranking Each Position in 2016 by Strength

By Peter Panacy

November 8, 2015; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers tight end Garrett Celek (88) is congratulated by tight end Vance McDonald (89) and wide receiver Bruce Ellington (10) for scoring a touchdown during the second quarter against the Atlanta Falcons at Levi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: USA Today Sports
November 8, 2015; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers tight end Garrett Celek (88) is congratulated by tight end Vance McDonald (89) and wide receiver Bruce Ellington (10) for scoring a touchdown during the second quarter against the Atlanta Falcons at Levi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: USA Today Sports /
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The San Francisco 49ers have a number of deep and strong positions entering the 2016 NFL season. And there are a number of positions which aren’t so strong. Niner Noise takes a position-by-position look at the franchise and grades out each unit in terms of its overall strength.

November 8, 2015; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers outside linebacker Aaron Lynch (59) congratulates defensive end Arik Armstead (91) for sacking Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan (2) during the first quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
November 8, 2015; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers outside linebacker Aaron Lynch (59) congratulates defensive end Arik Armstead (91) for sacking Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan (2) during the first quarter at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /

The San Francisco 49ers made some notable changes and upgrades during the 2016 offseason, primarily via the NFL Draft.

San Francisco brought in two first-round draft picks — defensive end DeForest Buckner and offensive guard Joshua Garnett — along with other additions, to reinforce the trenches. And there are number of other new faces hoping to increase the Niners productivity in 2016.

General manager Trent Baalke’s focus at the line of scrimmage and within the secondary are good things. And yet the 49ers still have more than a few positions where concern and worry outweigh promise and positive expectations.

Who knows how the Niners’ current 90-man roster shapes up into the 53 players seen on game day. Training camp and the preseason will help determine that.

But let’s try to gauge every position from an offseason standpoint and determine how strong, or weak, each unit is in advance of 2016.

To do this, we’ll take into consideration the following elements:

  • Impact players and playmakers (Pro Bowlers and All-Pros a plus).
  • Player statistics and Pro Football Focus grades.
  • Projected or potential impact of young/rookie players.
  • Proven track record at the pro level.
  • Overall depth of the position.

Each position will be assigned a best player, worst player and X-factor as well. With this criteria in mind, each position will be graded on the following marks:

  • Tier 1: Extremely strong (little-to-no concern about strength or depth).
  • Tier 2: Very strong (promising, but a few areas of worry).
  • Tier 3: Moderately strong (a few areas of promise, but a hit-or-miss situation).
  • Tier 4: Not very strong (mostly concerns and/or worries).
  • Tier 5: Weak (lacking talent and/or depth in nearly every aspect).

To be expected, the majority of positions will fall into Tiers 2 through 4. Yes, the 49ers have some good positions, players and amicable depth here and there. But there are also notable question marks as well.

So let’s jump to it and start with special teams, shall we?

Next: Special Teams