With the 2022 season quickly approaching for the San Francisco 49ers, here is what to look for in 2022.
Can quarterback Trey Lance quiet the media and his doubters? Or is it time to play the Brock Purdy card? Seemingly every other day the young quarterback gets questioned by fans and the media. Most of the time it has been stating the obvious about him.
Yes he lacks experience, and he will have some struggles. That is a given. Head coach Kyle Shanahan is not going to have a short leash with him though. Which means Jimmy Garoppolo will remain the backup for the season unless he gets traded at some point in the season and waives his no trade clause.
The offensive line is key. Losing Alex Mack to retirement was a big loss, Laken Tomlinson signing with the New York Jets after a Pro-Bowl caliber season also will have an effect. Still the biggest question mark is how will right tackle Mike McGlinchey perform following his injury from last season?
For tight end George Kittle it seems like he has a lot of bumps and bruises. To start the season he has already missed several practices prior to their opener against the Chicago Bears.
Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk found himself in Shanahan’s dog house in 2021 and after a slow start, he finished strong. This off season he has made headlines with his play. With teams focusing on Kittle and Deeob Samuel, he will likely have a huge season. He may easily surpass the 1,000 yard receiving mark and set a career-high in touchdown receptions.
Also, with a deep threat in rookie wide receiver Danny Gray, it likely opens the offense much more.
Defensively the 49ers upgraded their secondary with the signing of Charvarius Ward. Samuel Womack III made an immediate impact during the pre-season, and Emmanuel Moseley is underrated at the position.
For the secondary the only issue is how the 49ers will look with Jimmie Ward starting the season on injured reserve.
San Francisco arguably has the best group of linebackers in the NFL.
In the second round the 49ers selected Drake Jackson a defensive end out of the University of Southern California. He caught the attention of Trent Williams in camp and if he becomes what Dee Ford was supposed to become when he was acquired, that makes the defense that more dangerous.
Lastly the defensive line is once again strong. Javon Kinlaw is healthy, and it seems he is likely to have a big year in 2022. The 49ers did lose Maurice Hurst to a torn pectoral muscle, yet have strong depth there.