ClutchPoints
It looks like the San Francisco 49ers have gone about the business of paying players. That includes their standout linebacker. However, here is the 49ers’ riskiest move of the 2025 NFL offseason.
The 49ers hit the draft hard on the defensive side of the football. Their first five picks were edge rusher, defensive tackle, linebacker, cornerback, and another defensive tackle. This approach left little help for the offensive side of the ball in terms of game-changing player additions.
Also, the 49ers traded away Deebo Samuel. So their offense will ride on guys like Brandon Aiyuk, Ricky Pearsall, and George Kittle.
Shanahan and general manager John Lynch will be banking on the offense getting things done with the guys in-house. If you look at Pro Football Focus, a very reliable source, the 49ers didn’t approach things very well. PFF gave the team a grade of D.
“Overall, the 49ers appeared to get worse this offseason,” PFF wrote. “Getting Robert Saleh back as defensive coordinator could be a big positive, as he had success in that position with this very regime. But outside of that, the team lost Dre Greenlaw, Deebo Samuel, and Talanoa Hufanga. And (the 49ers) didn’t meaningfully address their offensive line.
“San Francisco’s draft was heavily focused on improving in run defense, which was needed after they finished 2025 with a 54.6 team PFF grade in that facet. The 49ers’ floor might be higher, but their ceiling seems lower.”
Here’s a big problem for the 49ers ignoring their offensive line. They just signed quarterback Brock Purdy to a five-year, $265 million extension. Uniquely, the last pick in the 2022 NFL Draft became the highest-paid player in 49ers history.
But the 49ers have gambled by not building a fortress around Purdy. That’s especially a big risk because many don’t see Purdy as worthy of such a huge contract, according to cbssports.com.
“The 49ers made a questionable decision in signing Purdy to a five-year, $265 million extension,” Jeff Purdy wrote. “Although they were in a pickle no matter what decision they made. San Francisco could have either paid Purdy heading into the last year of his rookie contract or moved on and signed another quarterback this offseason.
“They decided to pay Purdy significantly more than what he’s worth. When Christian McCaffrey, Trent Williams, Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, and George Kittle all played, Purdy was 17-4 and threw 38 touchdowns to just eight interceptions. In any other game, Purdy was 10-11 with 30 touchdowns to 18 interceptions — a significant drop off.”
The biggest issue didn’t come from their first pick. They got a potential stud pass rusher in Mykel Williams.
However, they passed on getting wide receiver talent to help Purdy. In Round 2. the 49ers passed up a chance to get either Tre Harris (Chargers) or Jack Bech (Raiders). In the third round, they didn’t go for Jaylin Noel (Texans) or Savion...
