The 49ers may be off to a frustrating 2-2 start to begin 2021, but these 10 players have done everything they can to keep the team in contention.
There are plenty of reasons to be frustrated with the San Francisco 49ers a quarter of the way through the 2021 regular season.
The team finds itself 2-2 after back-to-back losses in Weeks 3 and 4. And they may not be far off from 0-4 or 4-0, depending on how you see things and the realization the margin between a win or loss is awfully slim.
Nevertheless, the Niners have received some quality play from a number of their contributors over this span. And while the end results suggest there’s plenty of room for improvement, a number of players have certainly done their job well enough.
So, which players have been the best over these first four weeks?
Niner Noise ranks out the 10 best San Francisco players with the hope this list gets much more competitive over the course of Quarter 2 between Weeks 5 and 8.
No. 10: 49ers Safety Jaquiski Tartt
The lack of turnovers the 49ers have generated this season has generally convinced many that the secondary isn’t particularly good.
Well, the cornerback crop certainly has its share of weaknesses. Yet the fact the Niners are still allowing only 6 yards per pass attempt this season, 12th best in the NFL through four weeks, says a lot about the overall effectiveness of this group.
And considering the woes at cornerback, one should assume the safety tandem of Jimmie Ward and Jaquiski Tartt is doing its job well.
In truth, it is.
Tartt, who always comes with injury concerns, has stayed healthy this season despite having dealt with a nagging turf-toe injury. To date, Tartt is third on the team in tackles with 22 and has even penetrated behind the line of scrimmage to record three tackles for a loss.
To the untrained eye, Tartt might seem like another body on the defensive side of the ball. Yet he’s done a number of small things well that often go unnoticed, and San Francisco’s pass defense is much better off because of it.
No. 9: 49ers EDGE Dee Ford
Considering there was a real chance the 49ers would have to eat his 2021 salary while he remained on an injured list for the entirety of the year, the fact the Niners have gotten production for all four games this season from EDGE Dee Ford is pretty amazing.
True, Ford hasn’t been an every-down player this year. And there have been some games, particularly Week 3, where his pass-rushing efforts have all but disappeared.
That said, Ford is No. 2 on the defense in sacks, having picked up three over the four-week span despite appearing on just 29 percent of defensive snaps so far.
There’s a noticeable difference when Ford is on the field during obvious passing downs, and his speed has been indicative of what he once displayed back with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2018 when he made his first and only Pro Bowl.
Ford might not be on that kind of trajectory in 2021, and San Francisco will still want to be cautious with him and his previously suffered back injury.
But when he’s been on the field, mostly, he’s made a difference.
No. 8: 49ers Fullback Kyle Juszczyk
Fullback Kyle Juszczyk needs to touch the ball at least three times per game. Fortunately, that’s exactly what he’s been able to do thus far in 2021.
Juszczyk’s 11 receptions for 100 yards and a touchdown may not seem like much, even combined with six rushing attempts for 16 yards. But rather it’s the mismatch capabilities he can generate when lining up outside or even as a safety valve or screen-pass option out of the backfield.
Considering the 49ers haven’t gotten too much production from their depth pass-catchers this year, getting Juszczyk involved as more than just a lead blocker should help push head coach Kyle Shanahan’s offense out of the depths of inconsistency.
In this sense, Juszczyk operates almost like a No. 2 tight end to support the All-Pro, George Kittle, as both perform their blocking duties, too.
Kittle might be more potent a weapon. But Juszczyk is arguably more versatile, and it would be wise for the Niners to continue using him in whatever way possible to help spark what’s been an inconsistent offense thus far.
No. 7: 49ers Linebacker Fred Warner
Unfortunately, first-year defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans hasn’t always played to All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner‘s best strengths this season.
Case in point, in Week 3 against the Green Bay Packers late in the fourth quarter, Warner was aligned too close towards the line of scrimmage, allowing quarterback Aaron Rodgers to easily find targets over the middle of the field. Had Warner been dropped back in coverage in a Tampa 2-like coverage, the outcome from that game could have been much different than the tough 30-28 loss.
All that said, though, Warner remains a vital cog in what’s still a decent defense this season despite its own inconsistencies.
Warner is, not surprisingly, right back atop San Francisco’s leaderboard in tackles with 36, also boasting two of them for a loss with one pass broken up. And as far as playmaking prowess goes, the threat of Warner coming up with a key turnover or making a huge stop at a decisive moment isn’t going to go away anytime soon.
Perhaps Warner’s stock is a little less than it was to close out 2020, but it’s still more than safe to say the 49ers defense has remained a top-10 unit because of his presence on the field.
No. 6: 49ers Tight End George Kittle
Like Fred Warner, George Kittle has gotten off to a bit of a sluggish start this season, partially because of many of the Niners’ offense’s own inconsistencies and also possibly due to a nagging calf injury that’s hindered the 2019 first-team All-Pro for the past two-plus weeks.
It’s also fair to place some blame both on Kyle Shanahan and quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, too, for not making Kittle a bigger part of the game plan.
Kittle’s stats through four weeks have been relatively pedestrian, especially for someone of his prowess: 19 catches for 227 yards and zero touchdowns. He has been targeted 29 times, though, which helps highlight some of the accuracy concerns Garoppolo has.
Despite all this, Kittle’s on-field presence is still highly valuable.
Even if he’s not getting the reception numbers he should command, Kittle’s service as an elite-level blocker for his position and as a decoy have both allowed San Francisco to stay competitive in all four games despite the 2-2 record. And Kittle still remains a lethal threat who can easily have a 100-yard game at a moment’s notice.
Expect those kinds of performances in the very near future. It’s only a matter of time.
No. 5: 49ers Defensive Tackle Arik Armstead
Much like Jaquiski Tartt and Jimmie Ward, defensive tackle Arik Armstead’s efforts this season haven’t necessarily jumped off the stat sheet. And as a result, the casual fan might think his presence has been little more than pedestrian, especially considering he has just one sack on the year despite being one of the 49ers’ highest-paid players.
Armstead has only eight tackles this season. But his ability to wreak some havoc up front and engage with multiple blockers has afforded other Niners pass-rushers, such as Dee Ford, to have success with more frequent one-on-one matchups.
In 2019, Armstead was the primary beneficiary here, leading that year’s squad with 10 sacks and getting many of those one-on-one matchups.
While he’s not enjoying the statistical production this year, Armstead is still succeeding with a lot of the dirty work, currently emerging as Pro Football Focus‘ top-graded San Francisco defender through four weeks with an impressive 84.6 overall grade.
The 49ers defensive line is still the team’s deepest and arguably most talented unit. And while only some of the names get the recognition, Armstead not necessarily among those, he still is making a notable difference on defense this season.
No. 4: 49ers Safety Jimmie Ward
Like Jaquiski Tartt, and even to a bigger extent, Jimmie Ward does a lot of little things on the back end of the defense that wind up providing major dividends.
Many of which don’t get noticed or show up on the stat sheet.
Also like Tartt, Ward has stayed healthy this season, too. And while the interceptions continue to elude Ward, not having recorded a pick since 2016, his ability to perform eraser-like duties is a major reason why the Niners are still allowing just 6 yards per pass attempt.
Considering the injuries and shortages at cornerback, this is noteworthy.
Pro Football Focus is recognizing Ward, too, with a quality 69.2 overall grade on the season, highest within San Francisco’s secondary and a number that suggests he’s making up for the defensive concerns directly in front of him.
True, Ward’s 19 tackles and one pass broken up don’t suggest much. But those numbers also don’t tell the whole story.
The 49ers defense is notably better with Ward on the field than without him.
No. 3: 49ers EDGE Nick Bosa
Arik Armstead might not be receiving a lot of recognition on defense, and Dee Ford isn’t playing anywhere near the number of snaps to be ranked much higher on this list.
Nevertheless, EDGE Nick Bosa has returned as one of the Niners’ best defensive players and has already been a massive difference-maker for nearly every game played so far, leading the team with three sacks and frequently drawing plenty of pass-blocking attention his way.
Hopefully, that attention will at least open up more chances for players like Armstead and Ford. But the fact Bosa is picking up where he left off in 2019 before his devastating ACL tear early in 2020 is a great sign.
Just behind Armstead, Pro Football Focus has awarded Bosa with a high-quality 84.3 overall grade on the season, also influenced by his six tackles for a loss and eight quarterback hits. He’s making a difference not just in the pass-rush department but also in the run game, too.
Considering the vulnerability of San Francisco’s secondary, it’s been vital for the pass rush to be effective.
So far, at least for the most part, it has been. If it weren’t for players like Bosa, there’s a strong chance the 49ers’ efforts defending the pass this year would be much worse than they appear on paper.
No. 2: 49ers Left Tackle Trent Williams
One could make the argument perennial Pro Bowl left tackle Trent Williams has been the Niners’ best player a quarter of the way through 2021.
Perhaps that’s an indictment against many of the other high-profile offensive and defensive weapons San Francisco has. Or it’s merely a highlight of just how good Williams has been. Maybe a bit of both.
At any rate, Williams was recognized on Pro Football Focus’ first-quarter All-Pro team for the first four weeks of the season, making it to the list alongside Cleveland Browns offensive tackle Jack Conklin, Williams posting an elite-level 93.7 overall grade with zero sacks allowed and only four pressures surrendered.
The 49ers received a bit of a scare in Week 4 when Williams exited the game with what appeared to be a serious shoulder injury. Fortunately, the eventual diagnosis suggested Williams would only be day-to-day and wouldn’t miss any extended length of time.
Considering how vital Williams has been in what’s shown to be an improved pass-blocking Niners offensive line, the team should be happy it can breathe a sigh of relief.
Williams doesn’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon, and San Francisco is getting a great return on the money invested in him during the offseason.
No. 1: 49ers Wide Receiver Deebo Samuel
Well, when you’re a league leader in a very high-profile category a quarter of the way through the regular season, you deserve to be No. 1 on this kind of list.
Such is the case for wide receiver Deebo Samuel, whose 490 receiving yards are most by any pass-catcher in the NFL to date. Should Samuel continue that torrid pace, he’d wrap up the year with 2,083 receiving yards.
OK, that might not be sustainable. But considering the last time the 49ers had a 1,000-yard wide receiver was with Anquan Boldin back in 2014, and the last time a Niners wideout reached 1,300 receiving yards was Hall of Famer Terrell Owens, Samuel’s start to the year has been nothing short of remarkable.
Granted, San Francisco isn’t getting the receiving production out of other options like fellow wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. Yet Samuel is making up for it, also landing on Pro Football Focus’ first-quarter All-Pro team.
As long as Samuel stays healthy, he should be more than capable of helping Jimmy Garoppolo maintain whatever prowess under center he has remaining.
Or, just as likely, Samuel assists rookie quarterback Trey Lance’s evolution into a full-time starter.