SI Says 49ers Will be Top 5 Team in NFL by End of 2025-26 Season

Robert Saleh should be able to build an elite defense even with four or five starting rookies.

Sep 9, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) talks with Monday Night Football's Laura Rutledge after the win against the New York Jets at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images | David Gonzales-Imagn Images

It's hard to get excited about the 49ers as they currently are constructed on paper.

They just lost nine starting players in free agency and replaced almost all of them with rookies. So if the 49ers were to miss the playoffs for the second season in a row, no one would be surprised.

But the 49ers have a good head coach in Kyle Shanahan and an outstanding defensive coordinator in Robert Saleh, and they just might be able to win with this roster, particularly later in the year.

That's why Sports Illustrated's Connor Orr currently ranks the 49ers 15th in his post-NFL-Draft mock draft but believes they will rise in the rankings as the season goes on.

"The 49ers are going to end up a top-five team in the end-of-season power rankings for 2025–26," writes Orr. "This defensive overhaul is going to be nasty with the return of Robert Saleh to his comfort zone as Kyle Shanahan’s right-hand man. Outside of second-round pick Alfred Collins, one could argue that most of the Niners’ picks are theoretically 'undersized,' however, all of them are screamers and can fly to the ball to disrupt. That’s key."

Orr makes excellent points. Saleh should be able to build an elite defense even with four or five starting rookies. And first-round pick Mykel Williams certainly isn't an undersized defensive end. And fourth-round pick C.J. West isn't an undersized nose tackle. The 49ers drafted a brick wall on the offensive line which will allow smaller players such as Nick Martin and Upton Stout to run and make plays.