Ranking the Top 5 Players on the 49ers
The 49ers may not have the best quarterback in the NFC West, but they still might have the best roster.
The 49ers have an extremely talented team. And to prove it, here are their top-five players in descending order.
Note: These are players who have had multiple elite seasons in the NFL -- not just one. So Nick Bosa, Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, and Raheem Mostert don't make the cut yet, although they definitely could next year.
5. Kyle Jusczyk.
He has been the best fullback in the league for the better part of a decade, and has missed only six games in four seasons with the 49ers. He's a superb blocker who allows the 49ers running game to be more intricate and complex than other teams run games. He's also a fantastic receiver who doesn't get the ball as much as he should.
4. Jason Verrett.
Verrett has had two elite seasons -- 2015 and 2020. In between, he was injured. But when healthy, he has proven more than once that he's a top-tier, game-changing cornerback who can shut down some of the league's best wide receivers, such as Antonio Brown and DeAndre Hopkins.
3. Trent Williams.
Williams has been the NFL's best left tackle for a long time, arguably a decade. He's terrific in pass protection and even better as a run blocker. He's getting older -- he'll turn 33 in July -- and he misses a few games every year, but he's still dominant.
2. George Kittle.
Kittle is the best tight end in the NFL and the heart of the 49ers. He provides the spark and the energy and the joy that the rest of the team feeds off. When he's healthy, no one plays harder than he does, but he missed eight games this past season with a broken foot. That's why he's not No. 1 on this list.
1. Fred Warner.
Warner is the best middle linebacker in the NFL, and he never has missed a game. He's the brains of the defense, the leader of the defense and the best player on the entire team. He's off the charts in every way.
