The San Francisco 49ers are determined to get back to the Super Bowl, and their offseason has reflected that mission. The team made several key additions on both sides of the ball, and it's in pretty good shape as the 2026 NFL Draft nears.
While offseason winners are determined in the regular season, the early grades praise San Francisco’s work so far.
ESPN’s Ben Solak recently ranked all 32 free agency performances, taking into account all of the new additions (trades and free agents), re-signings, value of contracts, departure, and missed opportunities.
With all of that being considered, Solak ranked San Francisco No. 2 in the league.
ESPN ranks 49ers’ free agency the 2nd-best in the NFL
Solak praised the signing of Mike Evans as the move he loved the most, raving about how team-friendly the deal is, and how impactful the veteran wide receiver can be for San Francisco’s offense. When it was time for Solak to point to the moves he didn’t love, he admitted that he didn’t have an answer.
Instead, the analyst used that space to talk about another move that he believes pushed the 49ers offseason over the top: the trade with the Dallas Cowboys for defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa.
"The Odighizuwa trade was an enormous boon. A third-round pick for a rising 28-year-old with three years of team control at a premium position of massive need? Home run!"Ben Solak (ESPN)
The 49ers should give a rare shoutout to their rival, Dallas, for giving them a productive player. While Odighizuwa did cost a third-round pick, that’s a relatively cheap price if the defensive tackle can be the kind of impact contributor Solak and the Niners think he will be.
With the other additions on defense, like bringing back fan-favorite linebacker Dre Greenlaw, the defense should be able to get back to the dominant standard that it set. On offense, Solak highlighted how the 49ers also brought in receiver Christian Kirk and found a way to keep Trent Williams. The offensive additions should allow the 49ers to stay productive on offense, without having to put everything on Christian McCaffrey.
If everything works out for the Niners, and health is on their side, they should be right back at contender status in 2026.