The 49ers have a promising 1st round pick on their hands
The 2024 NFL season is in the books, and the 49ers finished their regular season at 6-11 following a lopsided loss to the Arizona Cardinals. Josh Dobbs was under center, and a litany of 49ers players missed the season finale. The 49ers defense gave up over 40 points, and the offense turned the ball over, committed 13 penalties, and allowed 21 fourth-quarter points.
Let’s hand out our final gold jackets of the season!
Offense: Ricky Pearsall
The first-round selection finished his rookie season with 400 receiving yards and 31 receptions, including three touchdowns. Pearsall’s last three games were the Florida receiver’s best stretch of football, with 18 receptions, 147 receiving yards, and two touchdowns. His 13.7 yards per reception for the last three games sends Pearsall into his first offseason with confidence.
Pearsall ran the most routes for the 49ers and ran 36 of his 46 routes out wide. Three of Pearsall’s six receptions were contested catches, and four of his six receptions went for first downs. The future is bright for the 49ers receiver’s room.
Honorable Mention: Jauan Jennings
Jennings fell short of his first 1,000-yard receiving season due to his ejection for blocking but was well on his way to a huge day and still led the team in targets with ten, which isn’t a shock since he was playing with his college quarterback on Sunday. It’s disappointing to fall short, but seven catches for 52 yards was the finishing touch on Jennings’s finest season in the NFL.
Defense: Dee Winters
Winters finished with five tackles and the second-highest tackling grade, but the young linebacker didn’t miss a tackle and made four defensive stops. Given the uncertainty of Dre Greenlaw’s future, Winters has flashed in his opportunities and will be in the mix for a starting position in training camp.
Honorable Mention: Tatum Bethune
Another young linebacker impressed on Sunday with the second-highest defensive grade (72.7), four tackles, and a 76.4 coverage grade without allowing a catch on his lone target. Bethune played 40 snaps and took advantage of his opportunity.