Power ranking each 49ers position group entering Week 1 of 2023 season
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No. 8: Quarterback
The 49ers' future rests on the hope that one of their quarterbacks will vault up the roster power rankings, and that relies on one man only, Brock Purdy.
The questions surrounding Purdy are loud, but they are valid. His Cinderella run in the final third of the 2022 season was outstanding, but can it be repeated? His injury against the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship game put him behind the eight-ball for the entire offseason, and he is still going through the recovery process as the regular season approaches.
Smart money says Purdy cannot be as good as he was last year, but how much worse will he be? That's the pessimistic view for San Francisco's starter.
The flip side, and what the 49ers brass must believe in to have traded former third-overall pick Trey Lance away, is that for all of the questions, Purdy's play was phenomenal, and there is much improvement possible from the former Mr. Irrelevant, who proved how relevant he was.
Even if Purdy regresses, his baseline level of play is good enough for the 49ers to compete, and even win.
The rest of the quarterback room is far more underwhelming, despite how much the Niners have attempted to insulate themselves from injuries at the most important position. It was the signing of Sam Darnold that essentially sealed Lance's fate with San Francisco, and though reports have praised the signal-caller, he has also never been consistent enough to actualize his talented arm. If the 49ers were hoping for competency at the backup position, Darnold is not a consistent bet for that, but there is an upside.
QB3 Brandon Allen is around to take advantage of the new emergency rules at QB following the 49ers' malaise in the playoffs, but he is simply not someone they can rely upon if their season is on the line.
Given the unknowns about Purdy, and the unexciting backup options, this is where the Niners QB room should rank. That's no slouch, though, starting now there will be a Pro-Bowl/All-Pro in every position group listed.