Five Offensive Players who Impressed on the 49ers in 2022
A disappointing end to the 2022 season for the San Francisco 49ers does not take away from an impressive season.
When it comes to the offensive side of the ball, the 49ers were starting out sluggish. A common theme for a Kyle Shanahan offense over the years, but the 49ers were able to pick it up and be an effective side. Shanahan plays a large role in it with his players coming in to finish the other half of the job by executing with great precision. It takes some really impressive season long performances to be able to do that. Some of it was thanks to headliners like Trent Williams and George Kittles, but there are a couple who proved to be surprisingly impressive.
Here are the five offensive players who impressed on the 49ers in 2022.
Brock Purdy
This was by far the obvious choice for this list. Brock Purdy completely uplifted the offense of the 49ers when he took over the starting reins. He could've easily just been a game manager and it still would've been a solid year for him. But he went far and beyond that of a game manager. Purdy completed 67 percent of his passes for 1,374 yards for 13 touchdowns and only four interceptions. One of those turnovers came from the game against the Chiefs, so he really only had three when he got his real debut against the Dolphins.
It may have been only six games that he played in, but Purdy needs to be the Offensive Rookie of the Year. He was by far the most impressive rookie AND player on the 49ers. To be the "Mr. Irrelevant" last pick of the NFL draft and have so much success from the moment he stepped in just incredible. He destroyed any and all expectations placed on him by factoring heavily into winning games for a Super Bowl contending team.
Christian McCaffrey
I'm really trying to shed light on the players who weren't headliners, but it is impossible to not recognize Christian McCaffrey. The new dynamic that he gave the 49ers was the second-best addition to the offense after Purdy. McCaffrey may have missed out on both All Pro and Pro Bowl honors, but that does not mean he was not playing at a similar caliber. In a season where Deebo Samuel was marginalized, McCaffrey came in and became their top playmaker.
He put up 746 yards on the ground for six touchdowns and 52 catches for 464 yards and four touchdowns through the air. The ultimate dual-threat running back in the league, and it wasn't even close. This mainly was thanks to the fortunate health McCaffrey had this season. He had been injury prone over the last three years, so for him to be clean all season long allowed him to remind people why he's been one of the best offensive players in the league.
Brandon Aiyuk
2022 was an expected breakout season for Brandon Aiyuk, but not in the way that he did. Aiyuk managed to have a breakout season putting up 78 catches for 1,015 yards and eight touchdowns with not one, not two, but THREE different quarterbacks. No other receiver managed to stay in strong form with all quarterback changes than him. Just look at George Kittle as an example. It took Purdy starting for Kittle to turn it up after he was having a snoozing season.
Aiyuk was even better than his highly paid counterpart in Deebo Samuel. The ascension of Aiyuk continues. He has continued to get better and better every year with 2022 being his most impressive. This year he was easily a top five player on the offense for the 49ers. It wasn't just how lethal he was as a receiver or with the ball in his hands. Aiyuk really took it to another level with his blocking. He's really taking pride in it as you can see, he's always annoying defenders with his aggressiveness through the whistle. 2023 should be the year where he says another step in the right direction.
Aaron Banks
The term "bust" gets thrown around way too early and often with players. Aaron Banks was a second-round draft pick, so when he couldn't beat out Daniel Brunskill for the right guard spot, he looked like a whiff. His season may have been a whiff, with injuries factoring in along with playing out of position, but his trajectory was not. He proved that this year by playing soundly.
And while left guards tend to look good playing next to All Pro Trent Williams, Banks still would've been exposed if he did not have a semblance of talent. The decision to let Laken Tomlinson walk in free agency last year to go with Banks paid off. Now Banks looks like a solid starter with a ceiling that is still not reached yet. Of all the players on the offensive line, Banks is the least of the 49ers' concerns.
Jake Brendel
Continuing with the offensive line questions going into 2022, center Jake Brendel stepped into a pressured spot. He's never been a full-time starter before and is replacing one of the greatest centers in Alex Mack who just retired. To say there were questions about him would be an understatement. Brendel took those questions and answered them with his game play, which is that he belongs in the league as a starter.
Brendel earned himself a nod in the Pro Bowl this year, which is not what anyone could have foretold before the season. There weren't many instances on the offensive line where Brendel was looked at as a major issue. He played well and has a Pro Bowl accolade to go along with it, so his 2022 season was massively impressive. Interior offensive line has always been an issue for the 49ers, but Brendel kept it relatively stable. He enters free agency with the potential of returning to hold it down again.
