The San Francisco 49ers walked into the 2025 playoffs with a 12-5 record and walked out embarrassed by the eventual Super Bowl champion Seahawks. That loss exposed cracks in a roster many believed was built for a title run. Now, with a handful of offseason moves designed to patch those holes, the team enters 2026 with a mix of veteran reinforcements and unproven talent. The difference between another postseason flop and a trip to the Super Bowl might come down to three players who have yet to deliver on their promise.
Ricky Pearsall Has Run Out of Excuses
The former first-round pick turns 26 this season, and his NFL résumé through two years looks alarmingly thin: fewer than 40 catches each season, under 1,000 total yards. According to Sports Illustrated, since 2010, 62 receivers drafted in the first or second round failed to reach 1,200 yards in their first two combined seasons. Of that group, only 10 signed significant contract extensions. Pearsall is creeping toward the wrong side of that list. But the 49ers didn’t bring in Mike Evans just to run deep routes alone — they need Pearsall to operate as a true No. 2 option. Robert Mays of The Athletic described a healthy Pearsall as part of a “terrifying” core alongside George Kittle, Evans, and Christian McCaffrey. The team has not confirmed any concerns about Pearsall’s health heading into camp, but the potential is still there for a breakout — if he can finally stay on the field.
Mykel Williams Must Prove He Can Rush the Passer
Selected 11th overall in the 2025 NFL Draft, Williams showed in his rookie season why teams valued him: he can stop the run. The problem is that stopping the run isn’t what first-round edge rushers are paid to do. Pro Football Focus graded Williams 84th out of 115 edge defenders against the run and gave him a pass-rush grade of 51.9, which ranked near the bottom of the league. He managed just one sack, and that came on an interior rush, not off the edge. Complicating matters further, Williams tore his ACL and played only nine games in 2025. According to Sports Illustrated, questions now swirl around how much pass-rush impact he can generate. The 49ers haven’t commented on his recovery timeline, but fans online noted that a fully healthy Williams could still unlock the traits that made him a top-15 pick — but that’s far from guaranteed.
Jordan James Could Be the Backup McCaffrey Needs
Drafted in the fifth round of 2025, James appeared in just three games as a rookie. But with Brian Robinson Jr. gone, a path to carries has opened. The 49ers want to lighten McCaffrey’s load, and James offers a skill set closer to McCaffrey’s than Robinson’s — quickness, lateral agility, and the ability to catch out of the backfield. Offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak acknowledged the need for better rotation: “When you look around the league … those guys do come out of the game. Those guys do get a blow sometimes, and whether it’s a drive or a couple plays in a series, it helps those players.” James could be that blow. If he earns the trust of the coaching staff in camp, he might carve out a meaningful role in an offense that thrives on versatility.
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