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Fresh off blowing a late lead in the NFC Championship Game, the San Francisco 49ers are turning to planning mode for the 2022 season. Having exceeded expectations of many by going from a six seed to being one win away from the Super Bowl, head coach Kyle Shanahan and his roster have a lot of pressure points to address this offseason.
The biggest storyline will involve what the offense will look like next year, as Trey Lance is figured to become the starter, even after Jimmy Garoppolo produced a semi-consistent season in the face of adversity. All signs point to Lance being handed the keys in his second year out of North Dakota State, and Shanahan will need to make sure that the offense ends up becoming catered to his skill set, which focuses more on mobility and shotgun work, versus the style for Garoppolo, which involved a heavy diet of running plays that helped maximize the effectiveness of play-action.
In a tough NFC West division, the 49ers have no room for error, especially if they want to return to the postseason, which means that their biggest need that needs to be addressed this offseason is more important than who will be their QB in ‘22.
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49ers Biggest Offseason Need
Defensive Secondary
The following cornerbacks are currently under contract for the 49ers heading into the ‘22 season: Ambry Thomas, Emmanuel Moseley, Deommodore Lenoir.
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The following safeties are currently under contract for the 49ers heading into the ‘22 season: Jimmie Ward, Talanoa Hufanga, and Tarvarius Moore.
Those six players are all that San Francisco has in its plans for the future, while these six players are free agents this offseason: Dontae Johnson, Jaquiski Tartt, Jason Verrett, Josh Norman, K’Waun Williams, and Marcell Harris.
Sitting at around $5.5 million in cap space, the 49ers have a lot of time to figure out what they are doing for their defensive backfield, but they have to do something to address that area of their team, which did produce top-10 finishes in many major categories.
Both Williams and Johnson should be the main targets if looking to remain in-house, as both still fit into the plan for the 49ers (both are 30 years old) and their familiarity with the scheme of defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans makes them both likely candidates to return.
If looking outside, either Marcus Maye (NYJ) or Quandre Diggs (SEA) would represent home-run targets for their safety position, and at cornerback, Darious Williams (LAR) or Steven Nelson (PHI) would be smart targets for the 49ers in free agency.
The defense has long been the strongest part of this 49ers team, something that has helped overshadow the offensive shortcomings that Garoppolo and company have produced over the past few seasons. With Deebo Samuel ascending to a whole new level as a WR/RB, Shanahan finally may be able to complement his stout defense with a potent offense – but retaining or improving the defensive secondary is crucial to that happening.
