NFL power rankings: What the experts say about the 49ers amid training camp

Niner Noise takes a look around the league to see what the experts are saying about the San Francisco 49ers in their latest training camp editions of NFL power rankings.

The San Francisco 49ers have just wrapped up their second week of training camp and are gearing up for their first preseason game of 2018 on Aug. 9 at home versus the Dallas Cowboys.

So far, the Niners have been relatively lucky with the injury bug. The only major injury of note is a knee issue for third-year guard Joshua Garnett, who might be on the fringes of making the 53-man roster this season anyway.

Overall, the Niners have showcased a lot of promise at wide receiver and running back, lending hope to the idea head coach Kyle Shanahan’s ingenuitive offense can make a massive improvement over the league’s 20th-best scoring offense a year ago.

And of course there’s that quarterback, Jimmy Garoppolo.

Needless to say, Garoppolo is a big part of what experts around the league are saying about the red and gold in their latest NFL power rankings amid training camp. So while there’s so much left to be decided between now and Week 1, let’s see what those experts and pundits have to say.

Kyle Newport, Bleacher Report: 15

"The good news is undefeated quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo signed a long-term extension with San Francisco this offseason. Now, the team will have to find a way to keep the momentum going.After all, Garoppolo started just five games following a midseason trade. It was an impressive five games, but it is a small sample size nonetheless.The 49ers added veterans Richard Sherman and Jerick McKinnon, both of whom have postseason experience."

Nate Davis, USA Today Sports: 20

"Garoppolo buzz is great. But preseason expectations should be tempered (for now) by defense that’s ranked 24th or worse last three years."

Frank Schwab, Yahoo! Sports: 17

"Didn’t expect Jimmy Garoppolo going on a date with a “movie” star (ahem) to become a big deal, but here we are. Welcome to life in the spotlight."

Matt Verderame, FanSided: 16

"San Francisco is getting all kinds of hype, but slow the roll. Jimmy Garoppolo looks awesome, but his supporting cast is average. Look for the 49ers to be a tough out, and then break out in 2019."

Niner Noise dished out our own camp-edition power rankings earlier this month, and we have the 49ers coming in No. 13.

A bit high? Probably. But we’re biased. What would you expect?

At any rate, Nate Davis’ assessment (the lowest of all pundits polled) makes some sense. The Niners did relatively little to upgrade their defense this offseason, outside of grabbing All-Pro cornerback Richard Sherman, who turned 30 years old last spring and is coming off a serious Achilles tear. Sure, there are some likable pieces on the defensive side of the ball. But the majority of general manager John Lynch’s efforts were directed to helping Shanahan’s offense reach a new zenith.

That should help the defense out a lot, though. But considering the lack of some star power on the defensive side, particularly in the pass rush, it’s easy to see why many analysts won’t peg San Francisco any higher than a middle-of-the-pack squad heading towards Week 1.

What matters, however, is where the Niners rank after Week 17.

The final ranking might end up being closer to what Matt Verderame had to say — the 49ers will be exceptionally difficult in 2018, but their real shot begins the following season.

Considering how bad things were in San Francisco before the Lynch and Shanahan era, it’s likely fans won’t mind too much having to wait another year before the 49ers are serious playoff contenders once more.