Though they finished 12-5, it's safe to say the San Francisco 49ers' 2025 season was far from a success. They barely cracked the top 10 in points per game despite having one of the league's easiest schedules. For much of the year, their offense felt stagnant and plodding, and they were never considered to be one of the league's legitimate Super Bowl contenders.
Fast forward, however, and they enter the new season with something they desperately lacked during their third-place division finish: speed.
With the selection of Mississippi standout De'Zhaun Stribling in the early second round, the Niners now have two wideouts who run a sub-3.40 40-yard dash. Neither he nor Jacob Cowing is penciled in as a top wide receiver as it stands, but they might not even need to post gaudy numbers for their presence to be felt.
49ers taking notes from top offenses of last year
Of the top three scoring offenses from last season, two possessed at least one receiver with blazing speed out wide. The Los Angeles Rams boasted both Tutu Atwell and Xavier Smith, both of whom have recorded sub-3.40 40 times in their past. The Seattle Seahawks lacked such a weapon until they acquired road runner Rashid Shaheed from the New Orleans Saints.
The only exception to the aforementioned offenses was the New England Patriots. Their lack of speed at the receiver position was on full display during the Super Bowl, when the unit struggled to get any kind of separation against the stout Seattle secondary.
Even though none of these names will jump off the page, they serve an integral role in their respective offenses. Forcing the defense to respect the deep ball spreads the game out, thus providing more space for the more talented receivers to work.
Because the Niners now possess dual threats who can take the top off of a defense, players like Mike Evans, Ricky Pearsall, and George Kittle should benefit greatly.
While Evans is obviously the most highly touted offseason acquisition, the Niners have quietly created the framework in which he can succeed. He is by no means a speedster at the ripe age of 32, and a more spread-out offensive scheme will allow him to do what he does best: work one-on-one on the sidelines.
Brock Purdy's weapons are looking plentiful in the early stages of the season. If his wide receiving core stays healthy, it could be the best one fans have seen in years.
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