SF 49ers: 3 items on DeMeco Ryans’ to-do list in 2021
No. 3: Working out who to upgrade in 2021
Every team has 11 starters on offense and 11 starters on defense, but it’s no secret every starter isn’t created equal.
Mike McGlinchey isn’t as good as Trent Williams at tackle, and Kerry Hyder isn’t as good as Nick Bosa at EDGE.
You can always stand to get better, and it’s up to DeMeco Ryans to decide how the team can get better personnel-wise in 2021 and how that can be achieved. With the current relative lack of cap space (especially given the number of free agents San Francisco has), the most likely candidate to do this is via the draft.
If Ryans thinks there can be an upgrade found at cornerback, then he could consider Virginia Tech’s Caleb Farley, South Carolina’s Jaycee Horn or Alabama’s Patrick Surtain II. If he thinks the team should just find a new EDGE opposite Bosa, could Jaelen Phillips or Gregory Rousseau from Miami be the pick?
Or in the unlikely event that he falls, could Penn State’s Micah Parsons be the man to complete the great trio at linebacker with Dre Greenlaw and All-Pro Fred Warner?
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There are a lot of options for Ryans and the SF 49ers as the team is in that sweet spot in the draft where someone could fall to them.
And if the Niners are hoping to continue their strong performance on defense in 2021, finding upgrades, where he can, may be the most important thing of all for Ryans to do before the new season commences.