3 reasons to still be proud of 49ers despite Super Bowl loss

No. 2: Rookies showed up in big moments

If there's anything you can bet on, it's the 49ers and drafting. This year, two players truly made their mark on the team: kicker Jake Moody and safety Ji'Ayir Brown.

Before you pick up your pitchforks and shovels, Moody deserves a tone of credit for his rookie campaign. Thanks to the offence for putting up a bazillion points weekly, Moody led the NFL in extra points made and attempted going 60-of-61. He also hit on 84 percent of his field-goal tries, which wasn't a lot due to the high-scoring offence. In his first-ever NFL playoff run, he made 75 percent of his field goals and only missed one extra point, in the Super Bowl.

Expectations were sky-high almost immediately. He was the highest-drafted kicker in the 2023 NFL Draft, going in the third round and he was replacing a potential hall of fame member in Robbie Gould. Gould barely missed any scoring attempts going a mind-boggling 29 for 29 in field goals in the postseason.

Moody had his fair share of mistakes but was still consistent. He also held a Super Bowl record for a few hours with the longest field goal made (55 yards.)

In limited action in his first season, Brown came away with three interceptions including one in the Super Bowl. His first was against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers which was a bit of a heads up (no pun intended) play:

Another third-round selection for the 49ers, Brown had a total of 56 tackles including the postseason. He looked to be a solid backup option for the defense and can certainly take on a bigger role heading into the next year with a new defensive coordinator.