The NFL offseason is transitioning into its second wave. With the main part of free agency now over, even though teams can continue to sign players at anytime, the focus shifts to the NFL Draft, where all 32 teams hope they can find the missing piece to their puzzles for success. For the San Francisco 49ers, this draft is another important one– needing to find players who can fill the holes still remaining on their roster.
But the 49ers will head into the draft in much better shape than they were before the offseason started. Wasting no time in addressing areas of need, the 49ers went out and acquired several notable players, including wide receiver Mike Evans and linebacker Dre Greenlaw. The 49ers still have work to do if they want to become true Super Bowl contenders once again, but after the strong free agency the team had, they may already be in the contender category– especially based on where they rank in the post-free agency NFL power rankings.
49ers Receive a Very Favorable Rating
Conor Orr from Sports Illustrated released his post-free agency power rankings and ranks the 49ers at No. 4 in the NFL– behind the Seattle Seahawks, Los Angeles Rams and Denver Broncos. Having two NFC West teams ahead of them shows just how competitive that division is and the 49ers were aggressive in making sure that they can compete for a division title in 2026. Orr especially likes the Evans signing, believing it will open up opportunities for other 49ers’ playmakers to step up even more.
“I am on record: The Mike Evans deal is my favorite signing of free agency,” Orr said. “While the 49ers will have to duel with the electrical substation to keep this aging roster on the field together, Evans takes a defender out of the box and lets Christian McCaffrey cook on the ground.”
The 49ers finished 12-5 last season and returned to the playoffs after a one year absence, but never were able to establish themselves as true contenders– mainly because of injuries. But now that the team added more talent, depth and star power, look out for the 49ers in 2026 and expect them to go all-in on winning a Super Bowl.
The 49ers Still Have Work to Do
Despite a strong offseason, the 49ers still need to lock-in the rest of the way before the start of the season. In a contract standoff with star left tackle, Trent Williams, the 49ers need to figure out what to do about him so that they can keep their star pass protector on the team in 2026– especially since they have no succession plan. They also need to address more depth at wide receiver, the pass rush, the secondary and figuring out what to do about the left guard spot.
Either way, the 49ers are making sure to stay active and vigilant when it comes to acquiring new talent and are clearly hungrier than ever to bring a Lombardi Trophy back to the Bay Area.
