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San Francisco 49ers: Ranking the top 5 players to target for 2019

By Timothy L. Miller

SANTA CLARA, CA - NOVEMBER 12: Odell Beckham #13 of the New York Giants stands on the sidelines during their NFL game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium on November 12, 2018 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CA - NOVEMBER 12: Odell Beckham #13 of the New York Giants stands on the sidelines during their NFL game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium on November 12, 2018 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
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HOUSTON, TX – DECEMBER 10: Head coach Kyle Shanahan of the San Francisco 49ers celebrates with general manager John Lynch after the game against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium on December 10, 2017 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)
HOUSTON, TX – DECEMBER 10: Head coach Kyle Shanahan of the San Francisco 49ers celebrates with general manager John Lynch after the game against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium on December 10, 2017 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) /

The San Francisco 49ers’ current depth chart has more holes than the fairways at Bushwood Country Club. Thankfully they have the cap space to fill them, either via trades or through NFL free agency, and here are the top five targets ranked.

As we venture deeper into the waters of the NFL offseason, rosters are slowly morphing towards their final incarnations for the 2019 season. Teams continue to outright release some veteran players and announce they will not be re-signing others. There are rumors about who is next on the chopping block, and who may be eligible for trade. This brings more focus to the league’s available talent pool.

Evolving alongside the list of available free agents is the needs of each NFL team. The San Francisco 49ers are no exception to this. Kicker Robbie Gould has recently been franchised tagged. This shores up the kicking spot. The makeup of the offensive line has gained a little more clarity, with guard Mike Person recently being re-signed to a three-year $9 million dollar deal. Tackle Garry Gilliam has been released, and it has been announced wide receiver Pierre Garcon will not be returning.

There are other roster announcements yet to be made as well, of course.

General manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan will be aggressive this offseason. The sense of urgency is upon them after the disappointing 2018 season that ended with only four wins.

Buoyed by the second selection in the 2019 NFL Draft, there is potential for a dramatic improvement. To make a true playoff push, the team’s front office will have to use all resources at it’s disposable. That includes the approximately $70 million in cap space the team is projected to have. There is also the prospect of acquiring veteran players via trades with another team.

After analyzing the Niners roster, it is clear that some spots are the knife at the gunfight — simply inadequate.

The defensive backfield basically consists of cornerback Richard Sherman and a bunch of guys that are as consistent as a broken grandfather clock. The Niners are as thin as Tom Hanks on a deserted island at linebacker. David Bowie has put more quarterbacks “Under Pressure” than San Francisco’s pass rush. All this on a team that has the overall depth of a petri dish.

These deficiencies can be addressed. They must be addressed if the 49ers have any intention of contention in 2019.

Not including the draft, here is a ranking of who the front office must go after in order to take the next step in the quest for a sixth Super Bowl title.