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Jake Brendel is locked in as a starter for the San Francisco 49ers for the fourth straight season, barring something significant and out of the ordinary happening. Brendel has been the definition of serviceable for the 49ers, which is why he checks in as the 20th most important 49ers player.
On the surface, this is probably too low. He is the starting center for a team that leans heavily on the zone run and that asks the center to do a lot. The team also does not necessarily have a plan behind him.
However, nothing about his two years as a starter with the 49ers have been spectacular, and his ascension from a journeyman in the NFL to a serviceable starter may speak more to what a Kyle Shanahan scheme can do to any competent center who is willing to run it right.
The 49ers do not have a competent backup behind, but at the same time Nick Zakelj has taken center snaps in the preseason, Matt Hennessy is a former third round pick with a couple of years of center experience under his belt, and while Drake Nugent was a UDFA last season, he did stick around the practice squad and has a chance to ascend into a backup center this season.
If Brendel went down and the team had to turn to any of these options, would it be viewed as a significant downgrade or something that San Francisco could not recover from?
Brendel has over 3,500 snaps at center for the 49ers over the past few years, and he is obviously inside the top 22, but he cannot end up much higher on the ranking for 2025.
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PARKER HURLEY
Parker Hurley is a Pittsburgh native and IUP alumni with a deep-rooted passion for football and a decade of experience analyzing the game. Since 2016, he had extensively covered the Chicago Bears, serving as the site manager for Bear Goggles On from 2017 to 2023. During that time, Parker published hundreds of articles per month and led content strategy across written, audio, and video formats. Parker has also produced podcasts, blogs, and YouTube content focused on the Pittsburgh Steelers, NFL betting trends, and league-wide analysis. His work blends film breakdowns, statistical insight, and timely news reaction to deliver clear, actionable content for fans and bettors alike. Now, Parker contributes NFL coverage across multiple platforms, expanding his scope to include teams like the San Francisco 49ers and broader NFL narratives. Whether he’s analyzing rookie development or evaluating playoff contenders, Parker’s top priority is helping readers understand the game on a deeper level. He brings passion, clarity, and consistency to everything he writes, always aiming to educate, engage, and elevate the football conversation.
