49ers 2020 predictions: Team MVP, most improved and more

3 of 7

Dante Pettis, San Francisco 49ers (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

49ers Most Improved Player

The 49ers don’t give out a most=improved player for their yearly awards, probably because that assumes that the player had a bad year the season before.

But that doesn’t mean we can’t.

Candidates for this award would be players such as wide receiver Dante Pettis, who struggled in his sophomore season in the NFL not only to put up numbers but even to get on the field; cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon, who started off 2019 well but struggled after returning from injury to the point where he was benched during the NFC Divisional win over the Vikings; or possibly running back Jeff Wilson Jr., who was in and out of the gameday roster throughout the season and so improvement could just come in the form of featuring more frequently.

Of that group, the 49ers would stand to gain the most from Pettis returning to the form he was working towards at the end of his rookie year, where he caught 24 balls for 371 yards (15.5 yards per carry) and four touchdowns from Weeks 7 through 12 before ending the year with an injury.

With a host of unknowns in the wide receiver room outside of Deebo Samuel, it would behoove one of the other members of the unit to step up in 2020 in order to ensure success for the 49ers.

Pettis making good on his draft pedigree and talent would do a lot for the San Francisco offense. And if he does so, he’ll certainly be the most improved player on the team.