Niner Noise
FanSided

3 depth players who need to step up for 49ers in 2020 playoffs

By Robert Morrison

SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 22: Matt Breida #22 of the San Francisco 49ers warms up prior to the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Levi's Stadium on September 22, 2019 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 22: Matt Breida #22 of the San Francisco 49ers warms up prior to the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Levi's Stadium on September 22, 2019 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 4
Next
Emmanuel moseley, 49ers
Cornerback Emmanuel Moseley of the San Francisco 49ers (Photo by Peter Aiken/Getty Images) /

The San Francisco 49ers are heading to the 2020 NFL playoffs as the conferences’s No.1 seed and NFC West champions. But there’s still a long road to get the team to its ultimate goal of Super Bowl 54. Niner Noise takes a look at three depth players who need to step up during the playoffs.

After a long playoff drought, the San Francisco 49ers are back in the championship hunt, having secured both the NFC West title and the No. 1 overall seed in the NFC with their Week 17 victory on Sunday over the Seattle Seahawks.

The bye week that comes with the conference’s top seed should prove useful in helping the team get healthy heading into the playoffs, with players like safety Jaquiski Tartt, EDGE rusher Dee Ford, guard Mike Person, and even linebacker Kwon Alexander possibly on track to return.

It also means the road to Miami and Super Bowl 54 runs through Levi’s Stadium, something that has never happened since the stadium opened and hasn’t been true for the 49ers since 1997. All of the advantages that come from being the NFC’s top seed, including this nugget from The Athletic’s Tim Kawakami, should certainly help during what the Niners hope will be a long playoff run.

That said, the players still need to play the games, and while the Niners will most certainly be leaning on players like quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, tight end George Kittle, tackle Joey Staley, EDGE rusher Nick Bosa, linebacker Fred Warner, cornerback Richard Sherman and other stalwarts who’ve been instrumental in getting them to this point, other members of the team may be called upon throughout the playoffs to step up and play well.

Let’s take a look at three depth players who might need to step up throughout the playoffs if the 49ers hope to have success and find themselves in Miami in February.