San Francisco 49ers: Ranking the 5 toughest players the Niners face in 2018

The San Francisco 49ers are heading into the 2018 season red hot. Niner Noise ranks the top five opposing players they will face that could cool down some of the hype.

The top five players the San Francisco 49ers will face in 2018 wasn’t as easy as I originally thought.

The 49ers face a lot of good players in 2018 and it wasn’t just about, “well this player had this many sacks or interceptions, so he’s good.”

It was more about trying to find which players are going to give the Niners the most challenge this upcoming season. Now when breaking it down like that, things can go a little different than expected.

For instance, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson is not on this list. He one of the top QBs in the NFL, so why wouldn’t he make the list?

I looked more into the team. The Seahawks have just lost multiple key pieces on defense. One being All-Pro cornerback Richard Sherman who is now a 49er.

This could mean that the 49ers and QB Jimmy Garoppolo will be on the field longer, thus keeping Wilson off it. Sherman has worked with the 49ers for months now and was able to pick apart Garoppolo’s game and provide “tells” that caused him to know where the ball was going to end up.

Sherman played with Wilson for years. He knows everything about his play style and will surely pass it along to the rest of the 49ers defense. The Seahawks also haven’t addressed their offensive line, and while Wilson is ultimately still a serious threat, he alone may not be as big of a challenge as in years past.

So moving forward, I rank the top five players who will challenge the 49ers more than anyone else in 2018.

Honorable mentions

Los Angeles Rams RB: Todd Gurley

Los Angeles Chargers DE: Joey Bosa

Kansas City Chiefs WR: Tyreek Hill

Seattle Seahawks QB: Russell Wilson