3 San Francisco 49ers who are trending toward 1st Pro Bowl appearances

The 49ers have had plenty of Pro Bowlers in recent years, but these three players should be in the conversation for a first-time Pro Bowl.

The San Francisco 49ers have largely maintained a strong core of blue-chip players over the last few years, many of which have perennially been named Pro Bowlers.

Last season, the Niners sent an NFL-high nine players to the Pro Bowl (of course, given the team was in the Super Bowl, none of them actually played). And the cast of honorees included some well-known names, including quarterback Brock Purdy, running back Christian McCaffrey, tight end George Kittle, fullback Kyle Juszczyk, defensive end Nick Bosa and linebacker Fred Warner, among others.

A quarter of the way through the 2024 season, there's a good chance San Francisco will send a large chunk of last year's cast to the Pro Bowl again.

However, a few new names could easily be added, including these three who are trending in the right direction toward a first-ever Pro Bowl appearance.

No. 1: Wide receiver Jauan Jennings

It's strange to think the 49ers' leading receiver through four weeks hasn't been Samuel, Kittle or even wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, rather it's been tertiary wideout Jauan Jennings.

Jennings exploded onto the national scene in Week 3 with a 175-yard, three-touchdown performance against the Los Angeles Rams, joining Hall of Famers Jerry Rice and Terrell Owens as the only Niners players to ever achieve such a feat.

On top of that, his team-best 364 receiving yards ranks fourth in the league overall, and that matters when voting comes into play.

Jennings' efforts in the Super Bowl last February put him on the map, and he could have been the game's MVP if San Francisco had won. Nevertheless, that exposure opened him up to fans across the country, meaning if Jennings continues to be a go-to favorite of Purdy, he easily could secure more than enough Pro Bowl votes by the time the regular season is over.

No. 2: Running back Jordan Mason

McCaffrey is shelved on injured reserve with an Achilles issue, which has opened up the door for backup running back Jordan Mason to thrive.

Mason has done so, impressing the country in prime time during Week 1's Monday Night Football game against the New York Jets in which he rushed for 147 yards and a touchdown, essentially taking over the game on offense.

Since, Mason has notched at least 100 rush yards in three of the 49ers' first four games, tallying 447 total yards on an NFL-leading 91 attempts while averaging a strong 4.9 yards per carry.

Only running back Derrick Henry of the Baltimore Ravens has more rush yards (480) than Mason at the first-quarter point of the season.

If McCaffrey continues to miss time, thereby feeding Mason more opportunities, there's an excellent chance the undrafted free agent out of Georgia Tech winds up being named a surprising Pro Bowler.

No. 3: Right guard Dominick Puni

A little bit of a dark-horse candidate here, but there are reasons to suspect rookie right guard Dominick Puni could work his way into the Pro Bowl conversation.

Granted, it's much harder for fans to quantify offensive linemen for Pro Bowl nods, given the traditional stats just aren't there. Unlike touchdowns, yards, sacks and catches, Pro Bowl voting doesn't exactly reflect pancakes, sacks allowed or other numbers typically associated on the offensive side of the line of scrimmage.

Nevertheless, Puni has impressed out of the gate, and his efforts have been reflected well enough by Pro Football Focus, which regards his 71.5 overall grade on the season as the No. 14 best guard in the league through four weeks.

Not bad at all.

What works against Puni is the whole name recognition thing. Typically, at least for fans, interior linemen are voted upon often by popularity. Puni has yet to establish himself as a well-known player, which is understandable, given the fact he's still a rookie.

However, if enough Niners fans vote, perhaps that narrative changes.

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