You won't be shocked where Bleacher Report put 49ers in latest power rankings
By Peter Panacy
![San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (L) and head coach Kyle Shanahan (R) San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (L) and head coach Kyle Shanahan (R)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_3400,h_1912,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/GettyImages/mmsport/42/01j3e2x3gsykdbsmt417.jpg)
Bleacher Report's pre-training camp NFL power rankings have the 49ers in a familiar spot with the 2024 season just around the corner.
The San Francisco 49ers are about as well-balanced a team as could be heading into 2024, and it appears as if the rest of the NFL world knows this.
But, should they be ranked No. 1 in NFL power rankings?
That's up for debate, although one could make the counter argument that until head coach Kyle Shanahan's squad pulls off a final victory in a Super Bowl, earning the top spot in any offseason power ranking will be just out of reach.
Still, the Niners are poised to back up last year's NFC title with a roster that remains mostly intact, even if they've had notable issues trying to extend their best wide receiver from the last two seasons, Brandon Aiyuk, who recently demanded a trade but is still employed by an organization that would have little desire to honor his request.
It's expected to see San Francisco right toward the top in any entity's pre-training camp NFL power rankings, and the folks over at Bleacher Report just came up with theirs.
You won't be surprised where the 49ers landed.
Bleacher Report: 49ers are No. 2 in recent NFL power rankings
Two of the top four teams in B/R's latest power rankings are from the NFC, the Niners and the team they beat in last January's NFC Championship game, the Detroit Lions.
The top spot isn't a shocker, as it goes to the team that subsequently knocked off San Francisco in the Super Bowl last February, the Kansas City Chiefs, while Detroit came in at No. 3 and the upstart Houston Texans at No. 4.
The 49ers, meanwhile, are ranked second:
"The 49ers are as talented as balanced as any team in the league. It's a team without a glaring weakness. And they have to be considered the favorites in the NFC (again)."
Granted, B/R pointed out the difficulty facing Super Bowl losers the following season, at least in terms of getting back to the big game and finally winning it.
However, barring a slew of injuries similar to the ones they endured back in 2020 after their first Super Bowl loss to K.C., the Niners remain as complete a roster as possible and face awfully few looming questions that could potentially derail their 2024 campaign.
Unless, of course, the Aiyuk saga somehow permeates through the rest of the locker room, creating an unneeded distraction.
Still, San Francisco boasts more than enough weaponry on both sides of the ball to legitimately be favored in nearly every contest it has this upcoming season, including what'll hopefully be a deep trip into the playoffs.
And, if fortunes pan out correctly, a Super Bowl victory and that coveted No. 1 spot in any offseason power ranking.
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