The 49ers have had a rough 2024 thus far, but these five unheralded players continue to give the fanbase hope.
2024 is certainly shaping up to be one of the more disappointing seasons under San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan.
By the looks of things, especially in the wake of a disastrous Week 12 loss to the Green Bay Packers, the Niners aren’t going to be partaking in the NFL playoffs this January after stumbling out to a 5-6 record and last-place berth in the NFC West.
Amid underperformances, late-game choke jobs and a slew of injuries, there are plenty of reasons for fans to complain.
But, it’s Thanksgiving season. Why not try to be thankful for something, anything?
It’s easy to be thankful for stars like tight end George Kittle, linebacker Fred Warner and quarterback Brock Purdy. Those three (and more) will command social media feeds and fan posts.
However, let’s be thankful for some underrated San Francisco players who don’t get enough credit.
While the 49ers roster will have a good deal of needs this offseason, the team can take comfort knowing its secondary is in solid shape for the foreseeable future.
And rookie safety Malik Mustapha is a prime reason why.
The fourth-round NFL Draft choice is still learning proper angles and will occasionally commit a coverage gaffe here and there. But, for a first-year pro thrust into the spotlight in the wake of veteran Talanoa Hufanga’s multiple injuries this season, Mustapha has been equal to the task.
Plus, on nearly a week-to-week basis, the rookie is delivering bone-jarring hits like this:
— Wake Forest Football (@WakeFB) November 24, 2024
Niners fans are thankful for each one of those hits this season and can be thankful for many more to come.
No. 2: Cornerback Deommodore Lenoir
San Francisco has a true No. 1 cornerback for a long time, Deommodore Lenoir, who recently inked a five-year extension to stay in the Bay Area.
Lenoir is on the cusp of no longer being underrated, especially in 49ers circles. But the 2021 fifth-round pick out of Oregon still hasn’t quite caught on at the national level despite boasting five interceptions and 16 pass breakups over the last year-plus. Plus, the ability to play both on the outside and at nickel only adds to Lenoir’s prowess.
Perhaps yet another standout campaign will earn him some Pro Bowl recognition.
For years, the Niners got by with stout defensive lines and linebacker corps while largely neglecting their cornerback room.
Lenoir helps reinforce the notion of that no longer being the case.
While rookie corner Renardo Green is nowhere close to Lenoir’s prowess, San Francisco can at least take comfort knowing its Round 2 draft investment in the former should pay off handsomely in the years to follow.
Green found himself thrust into a more prominent role when veteran cornerback Charvarius Ward was forced to miss time, both because of injury and also due to the tragic passing of his daughter.
Sure, the first-year pro has taken some lumps over the first 11 games. But, considering he’s held opposing quarterbacks to a 58.2 completion percentage when targeting him suggests Green is already playing at a high enough level to warrant full-time starting consideration.
Paired with Lenoir, it appears as if Green will help form a potentially formidable cornerback room for the long haul.
No. 4: Running back Jordan Mason
Fans had reason to doubt the entirety of 2024 when All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey was poised to miss the first half because of Achilles issues.
Except no one told backup runner Jordan Mason to worry, too.
Sure, Mason has seen his usage dwindle tremendously since McCaffrey’s return after eight weeks. But, up until that point, the former helped keep the 49ers’ ground attack not only above water but thriving. Not long ago, Mason was the NFL’s No. 2 rusher behind only the Baltimore Ravens’ Derrick Henry.
Mason, who still has 711 rush yards despite scant use over the last three games, nevertheless gives the Niners a tremendous bit of insurance to guard against another McCaffrey injury, which might be necessary if the latter ends up being shut down amid a downtrodden season.
For some inexplicable reason, San Francisco continues to trot out veteran linebacker De’Vondre Campbell to play alongside All-Pro Fred Warner in the wake of fellow backer Dre Greenlaw’s Achilles tear suffered in last February’s Super Bowl.
Perhaps fans can be thankful Campbell is signed only through this season and likely won’t return in 2025. But, then again, Greenlaw’s healthy return isn’t guaranteed either, and he’s also a pending free agent next year, too.
Should either of the latter two concerns pan out, the 49ers can take some solace knowing they have a promising linebacker waiting in the folds, second-year pro Dee Winters.
Winters, who has started five games this season, has primarily contributed on special teams but has shown a knack for being able to contribute at a high level on defense, too. Case in point, he’s held opposing quarterbacks to a lowish 79.5 passer rating when targeting him.
If Winters is able to clean up missed tackles (a team-wide problem), he could theoretically be a Greenlaw replacement, if necessary.
That’s worthy of thanks.
