Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
By David Bonilla
May 31, 2024 at 12:36 PM
Share this on TwitterShare this on FacebookShare this on ThreadsFlip into FlipboardShare this on RedditShare via SMSShare via Email
Videos are auto-populated by an affiliate. This site has no control over the videos that appear above.
As they do every offseason, Pro Football Focus has kicked off its annual rankings bonanza, already unveiling its lists for several position groups.
Fans are still debating San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy's No. 13 ranking among league passers. Wide receivers Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel both secured top-10 spots and Christian McCaffrey, the reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year, was named the top-ranked running back.
In addition to McCaffrey, three other 49ers topped their respective position group rankings: tight end George Kittle, linebacker Fred Warner, and offensive tackle Trent Williams.
George Kittle
Kittle's top ranking might spark debate among Kansas City Chiefs fans, who will argue that Travis Kelce deserves the No. 1 spot. However, Pro Football Focus analyst John Kosko provided a compelling case for Kittle.
"Kittle was the NFL's highest-graded tight end in 2023 at 87.7 overall, while Kelce finished second at 82.6," Kosko remarked. "Kittle's run-blocking grade also dwarfed Kelce's, 81.1 to 46.9. Their overall grades over the past three years are identical at 91.6. Kelce gets the nod in receiving grade (92.2 vs. 91.4), but Kittle's grade in the run game is far superior (80.8 vs. 56.0).
"In the end, there is little doubt who the best two tight ends have been over the past three to five years. Kelce's receiving ability is invaluable to Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs, while Kittle's overall game is a perfect fit for Kyle Shannahan's diversified run game and play-action pass attack."
Fred Warner
Warner's placement as PFF's highest-ranked linebacker comes as no surprise. Warner's 90.2 overall grade in 2023 was the best among NFL linebackers, with his 90.7 run-defense grade ranking third and his 84.4 coverage grade ranking sixth.
"Warner has been the gold standard at linebacker over the past four seasons, ranking as one of the position's 10 highest-graded players each year," explained analyst Gordon McGuinness. "His eight combined pass breakups and interceptions in the regular season and playoffs in 2023 were tied for the second most among linebackers."
Trent Williams
Speaking of gold standards, they don't come much better than Williams. At 35 years old, the veteran tackle remains one of the league's best offensive linemen. Pro Football Focus contributor Zoltán Buday notes that Williams put together another impressive performance last season despite struggling with an ankle injury.
Buday added, "His 92.5 PFF grade ranked second among offensive tackles last year, and he was the only player at the position to earn run-blocking and pass-blocking grades above 84.0."
Nick Bosa
While defensive end Nick Bosa didn't earn the top spot in Pro Football Focus' edge defender ranking, he did come in at No. 3, behind Myles Garrett of the Cleveland Browns and Micah Parsons of the Dallas Cowboys.
"Bosa was close to Garrett and Parsons in pass-rush grade in 2023 (92.3), and his 21.8% pass-rush win rate ranked fourth in the league — behind Garrett, Parsons and Bryce Huff. Bosa is a consistently dominant force every year," wrote analyst Trevor Sikkema.
Related News
- Fred Warner Sits at No. 1 in PFF's 'Top 32' LB Rankings Ahead of 2024 49ers.com • May 31
- Dre Greenlaw absence glaring in PFF LB rankings for 2024 Niners Wire • Jun 1
- Morning Report: Where Does Fred Warner Stand in PFF's LB Ranking? 49ers.com • Jun 3
Nobody's perfect. Did you find a mistake in this article?
Report it.
Comments
Do not use the comments to notify us of errors in the article. Editors may not see it. Instead, report errors here.
More San Francisco 49ers News
49ers top PFF's 2024 NFL roster rankings
By David Bonilla
May 29
The San Francisco 49ers are widely regarded as having one of the most talented rosters in the NFL, and analytics site Pro Football Focus agrees with that sentiment. Contributors Jim Wyman and Dalton Wasserman recently assessed and ranked all 32 NFL rosters, placing the 49ers at the top of their list."San Francisco had three players who ranked inside the top two of their position in overall grade last season — Christian McCaffrey, Brandon Aiyuk, and George Kittle," the contributors explained. "They also had Deebo Samuel, who finished 12th among wide receivers in receiving grade. Simply put, the 49ers are still stacked with offensive
Read More
PFF Ranks 49ers' Charvarius Ward the Third Best Cornerback in the NFL
By Jon Opelt
Jun 3
Pro Football Focus (PFF) announced its top 32 cornerbacks heading into the 2024 season, with the 49ers' Charvarius Ward ranked third in the league behind Pro Bowlers Sauce Gardner of the Jets and the Chiefs' Trent McDuffie.Ward, who prefers the nickname Mooney, owned the third-best pass coverage grade (86.5) among cornerbacks last season, behind the Bears' Jaylon Johnson (91.0) and Gardner (90.8), even though he was targeted on more than 100 pass plays. Ward had passes thrown his way more than twice as often as Johnson and Gardner.PFF's coverage grades, primarily influenced by plays where the defender was targeted, took into account the ability
Read More
Where 49ers' Talanoa Hufanga ranked among PFF's top safeties
By David Bonilla
Jun 3
The San Francisco 49ers anticipate Talanoa Hufanga's return before the start of the regular season, hoping he can begin practicing sometime during training camp after a challenging recovery from the torn ACL that cut short his 2023 campaign.Getting Hufanga back would be a significant boost for the 49ers defense. During his last full season in 2022, the safety earned Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro honors."It's always scary coming back from an ACL, but once you come back, in this day and age, it's usually okay," head coach Kyle Shanahan said in March. "[We] expect to get him some time in training camp, so that should be all right."Despite his injury-shortened
Read More
Why Fred Warner is 'hyped' for 49ers' home opener
By David Bonilla
May 28
The San Francisco 49ers drafted Fred Warner in 2018, and since then, he has emerged as one of the NFL's premier linebackers and the cornerstone of a formidable defense. Warner's impact on the field has been profound, but this year's season opener holds a unique significance for him.Warner began his rookie season on the road, a trend that continued in 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2023. San Francisco will kick off their 2024 season by hosting the New York Jets on Monday, September 9, at Levi's Stadium, with a crowd of enthusiastic fans in attendance.For Warner, this Week 1 contest holds special meaning. Speaking to Sirius XM NFL Radio, the linebacker shared his excitement for the matchup against the Jets."I was hyped, I was excited," Warner said about the
Read More
