Aside from obvious outliers like Nick Bosa or to an extent Brandon Aiyuk, it's not often that 49ers fans find themselves evaluating their rookie class' significant impact on their season.
There are several reasons for this - the scarcity of first-round picks since the ill-fated trade for Trey Lance in 2020 has directly reduced the chance of immediate impact rookies being drafted to the team (albeit that the team has found good contributors in the mid and late rounds, as has been a hallmark of the John Lynch/Kyle Shanahan era), while Kyle Shanahan noticeably and often outwardly mistrusts rookies, or at least shows conservatism in giving them regular snaps. There's perhaps no better example of this than last year, when Logan Ryan was plucked off a cruise as a street free agent and ended up taking snaps away from then-rookie third-round pick Ji'Ayir Brown.
However, the 2024 season has been the complete inverse of that - by both design and circumstance, many rookies have been forced into the lineup, and pretty much all of them have shown up on film. Seven of the 49ers' eight-person strong draft class are currently on the team's active roster, while Jarrett Kingston found his way to the Carolina Panthers active roster after the 49ers attempted to stash him on the practice squad. In addition, undrafted free-agent Evan Anderson has also carved out a place in the team's rotation.
Let's examine each player's performance in turn and evaluate their potential contribution to the team's long-term future.
WR Ricky Pearsall (Round 1, pick 32)
Back in April, at the draft's conclusion, I wrote some seemingly prophetic words on Pearsall:
"barring an absolute catastrophe or an injury, Ricky Pearsall is going to be on the roster"
Even I, a somewhat pessimistic Niners fan, couldn't have guessed what would come next.
Somehow, both would befall Pearsall. After impressing in rookie camps, a subluxed shoulder held him out of the latter stages of training camp and the preseason, which was an inauspicious start to his career - particularly given both the expectations placed on him by many, and the possibility of longer-term issues with the same shoulder. That all paled into insignificance, however, with what would come next, as Pearsall was, as you probably know by now, shot in an attempted robbery in Union Square on August 31st.
This understandably caused him to miss several weeks of the season, although the fact he was even able to play again at all was a welcome and fortuitous surprise. Somehow, 50 days later, Pearsall lined up for the 49ers, playing multiple snaps (and at one point becoming the most talented target, due to the avalanche of injuries at the position) against the Kansas City Chiefs.
That alone would, and should, be enough to remove any scrutiny from Pearsall, but considering the time he's had to take to recover from injury, trauma, and everything else that's happened in the last few months, he's not only springing a major surprise by playing but there are strong signs that he's going to develop into a very talented NFL receiver. Through two games, he has 7 catches on 9 targets for a total of 59 yards. Moreover, he had his first highlight play in the NFL in the vital win over the Dallas Cowboys, ripping off a key 39-yard run on a jet sweep late in the fourth quarter.
With all of the above in mind, it's impossible to grade Pearsall - but the signs are good. He's shown great bravery and tenacity to carve out an NFL future after the horrific incident he endured, and he does so far look as advertised when the 49ers elected to draft him. He's probably one to keep a closer eye on down the stretch, particularly given that Brandon Aiyuk is out for the season. Having a fresh, speedy weapon to call plays for might just help Kyle Shanahan as he looks for new wrinkles to get the offense moving.
Grade: Incomplete (mitigating circumstances)
CB Renardo Green (Round 2, Pick 64)
The fact that this pick came in for some critique on Day 2 of the NFL Draft feels like a long time ago now. While it would have been easy for Green to get buried in a cornerback depth chart that featured players like Deommodore Lenoir, Charvarius Ward, and highly-touted free agent signing Isaac Yiadom, Green's taken to the challenge well.
He's been worked into the lineup at multiple spots and has accelerated his rise by playing solidly whenever called upon. This has seen him gradually take playing time away from the disappointing Yiadom, who he seems to have supplanted on the depth chart at this point. Intriguingly, Green has also been given some difficult coverage assignments, often rotating them with Ward due to the latter's inconsistent play. That on its own doesn't scream 'potential great player', but Green has also been making some key plays in coverage.
He particularly shone against the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday Night Football, where he was a notable factor in helping to shut down D.K Metcalf before capping off his night with his first NFL highlight play - an excellent interception that turned the momentum of the game back in the 49ers favor.
The 49ers have, for once, shown some faith in a rookie with Green, and he's repaid that several times over through the early weeks of the season. The fact he left college as a senior rather than an underclassman seems to have resulted in more mature play from him, as he's rarely had any coverage busts, and has largely played solidly whenever given snaps. His role is unlikely to increase throughout the rest of the season (barring injury), but he must have the inside track to a starting job next season, especially considering his experience at multiple spots in the secondary and the impending free agency of both Ward and Lenoir.
The early signs are that the 49ers have potentially future-proofed the cornerback position in a very big way with the drafting of Green.
Grade: B+
G Dominick Puni (Round 3, pick 86)
Puni has been an absolute revelation for the 49ers.
The things a team is mostly looking for in an offensive lineman in the NFL are all things Puni has in spades: consistency, discipline, and a nasty streak. Through the first half of the season, it's possible that the former Kansas blocker could be feasibly called the team's best offensive lineman, such is the way he's taken to playing at the professional level.
Things started well, as he comfortably won the starting right guard spot throughout training camp and the preseason, taking advantage of injuries and inconsistent play by Spencer Burford and Jon Feliciano to immediately put down a marker at the position. Ever since then, one of the best things you can say about Puni is that he doesn't show up on film very often - that is, his run and pass blocking are so solid that it barely warrants a mention - unless of course, he's making a highlight play such as driving someone into the endzone.
Puni has impressed in every single game, and also rarely gets his name called by the officials, both of which are a relief to 49ers fans after many years of holding penalties and poor play from the right side. More pleasingly, he seems to have even elevated the play of his much-maligned line partner Colton McKivitz, who is also having a solid season with Puni lining up next to him.
Puni has all the hallmarks of a ten-plus-year pro in the NFL, and frankly, a multi-time Pro Bowler. He's an old-school offensive lineman and a shot in the arm that the team's blocking desperately needed. Memo to John Lynch: draft more linemen like this.
Grade: A*
S Malik Mustapha (Round 4, pick 124)
It's hard to imagine that the 49ers were meant to see as much of the fourth-round pick out of Wake Forest as they have so far this season. Most projections had the young safety as being a key contributor on special teams, with a possible view to stepping into the starting lineup in future seasons, particularly because Talanoa Hufanga is in his contract year with the team.
However, in one of the best examples of the rookie class providing quality and unexpected depth, Mustapha has seized upon the chance given to him by the 49ers rash of injuries. Since replacing Hufanga in the starting lineup for the game in Week 4 against the New England Patriots, Mustapha has started every game, and more importantly, has shown to be more than just a jersey filler while more experienced ones are absent.
It'd be easy to focus on the highlight plays such as the big hits against the run, and his impressive athletic interception against the Seahawks, but the most pleasing aspect of Mustapha's play has been his ability to learn from his mistakes. After some occasional coverage busts and issues with over-aggressiveness throughout the preseason and early in the regular season, Mustapha has shown consistent growth against both the pass and the run, and his mistakes seem to be lessening with each passing game. Perhaps more importantly, his energy and ability to be around the ball and make plays have often stood in stark contrast to the lackadaisical and lethargic efforts of the rest of his squadmates on the defensive side of the field.
He's been a real beacon of hope for the future of the 49ers' defensive unit, and even in some of its worst moments, has usually looked like one of its better players. If he continues to clean up his play and become more consistent, he threatens to become the player that Talanoa Hufanga often promised to be, and that may be enough to convince the team to not even attempt to re-sign the injury-plagued Hufanga at the rest of the year. Mustapha seems to be ascending towards being the team's long-term plan at one of the two safety spots, and may already be there.
Grade: A
RB Isaac Guerendo (Round 4, pick 129)
After a run of easy grades, here's one that's more difficult. There's no doubt that Guerendo had a baptism of fire into the NFL - there's almost no way he would've expected to play the number of snaps he has, given that, in April, he was joining a team that contained one of the best running backs of all time in Christian McCaffrey.
However, McCaffrey's injury issues have left the team short-handed at the running back spot, and both Guerendo and Jordan Mason were tipped by many to be given equal opportunities to fill the gap.
That's not quite what happened. Despite raw athletic ability and blazing speed, Guerendo struggled to gain the coaching staff's trust, barely touching the ball throughout the first five weeks of the season. This isn't necessarily a criticism - the nuances of Kyle Shanahan's system are notoriously tough to learn, and we can all easily think of many rookies who have failed to grasp it and been drummed out of San Francisco as a result.
Still, one would've expected more from Guerendo, and arguably with the offense lacking an outside run threat, it's disappointing that he wasn't able to force his way more prominently into the rotation. However, there are signs that he's beginning to turn this around. Jordan Mason's recent injury troubles have left Guerendo with an increased role, and he's largely been able to impress, ripping off large runs to salt big wins away against both the Seahawks and Cowboys, and scoring his first NFL touchdown against the latter.
The 49ers will almost certainly continue to try to harness his talent - he seems a perfect fit for the offense as an explosive, talented runner in the Raheem Mostert mould, but to gain more playing time, particularly as McCaffrey potentially arrives back onto the active roster, he'll need to start putting it altogether more consistently. He can still improve at reading the holes in the run game, while his whiff on a key pass block late in the win over the Cowboys is unlikely to have helped him gain the trust of Shanahan or Bobby Turner either, considering how important blitz pickup is to them giving players field time.
A difficult grade, as he has great potential, which he'll hopefully show more consistently throughout the second half of the year.
Grade: C+
WR Jacob Cowing (Round 4, pick 135)
Purely on production, Cowing can't be graded highly - he's not exactly sparkled as a punt returner, while the sum total of his offensive output is two catches on three targets for 50 yards. In mitigation, however, the exiling of Jacob Cowing to borderline witness protection level in a year where the 49ers have lost their top four receivers for significant periods has to be one of the most baffling moves by Kyle Shanahan.
It's easy to understand the arguments as to why - that he might not be a refined blocker at the pro level, and perhaps doesn't know every route in the route tree, or every spot in the lineup at receiver, and all of those would likely be leveled against him by the notoriously conservative Shanahan, who is noticeably tough on receivers. That said, however, there cannot honestly be a world where someone with Cowing's shiftiness and potential can consistently be kept off the field, particularly when the 49ers need big plays. It's a failure of the coaching staff that they haven't found more ways to get the ball into his hands, especially when he's been able to do some exciting things with limited opportunities.
An excellent deep catch on a well-run route late in the loss to the Kansas City Chiefs looked like his potential springboard into more playing time, but he still finds himself behind replacement-level players like Ronnie Bell and Chris Conley at receiver. It's disappointing for a player who could've brought something different to the 49ers offense, but hopefully, the second half of the season leads to a better understanding of the playbook and some more opportunities to impress. With Brandon Aiyuk now missing for the rest of the season, the 49ers could certainly use Cowing stepping up (or being allowed to).
Grade: D+
LB Tatum Bethune (Round 7, pick 251)
Something of a pallet-cleanser here after that anger, as Bethune was one of my bottom-of-the-roster favorites in the preseason. His tenacity, energy, and ability to pop a hit stood out in what can often be a quagmire of poor play late in preseason games, and it was cheering to see him make the roster over some players with less upside.
In essence, that forms the majority of his grade here - the fact he was able to beat out other players like Jalen Graham as an unheralded seventh-round pick deserves a lot of credit, and while he's not exactly lit up the stat sheet so far, it would be nice to see the 49ers continue to develop these young players with upside like Bethune and his linebacker compatriot Dee Winters, rather than continue to give playing time to players who've already hit their ceiling, like Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles and De'Vondre Campbell, neither of whom have exactly shone this season.
Looming over the horizon, of course, is the return of All-Pro Dre Greenlaw, and that could cause a problem for Bethune, who likely currently holds the last linebacker spot on the roster. Hopefully, he can stick with the team into next season and play a more prominent role as he develops.
Grade: C
DT Evan Anderson (undrafted)
You wouldn't normally focus much time on an undrafted rookie, but Anderson wasn't really your standard undrafted free agent from the start. Having given him $280,000 guaranteed to sign following the NFL Draft, the team wasted little time in getting Anderson significant practice snaps and allowing him to work with defensive line savant, Kris Kocurek, who drew early comparisons to another of his star students, DJ Jones.
While Anderson still has some way to go to surpass Jones, who was a key component in the team's 2019 Super Bowl run, he's already impressed in the three games he's appeared in, perhaps most obviously against the Patriots, where he recorded a forced fumble, sack, and multiple pressures. Following two impressive games as a practice squad elevation, he's now managed to parlay that into a spot on the full-time roster.
The 49ers seem to be continually searching for improvements along the defensive line, and while those rumors of a blockbuster deal to fortify the position, either by bringing back former 49ers DeForest Buckner or Jones himself, won't go away, Anderson has likely played well enough to hold down a spot in the rotation moving forward, particularly since Kris Kocurek is known to like a lot of quality depth along the line, something the team currently lacks. The second half of the season represents a real opportunity for him to push on and cement a role with the team, following in the footsteps of the likes of Arden Key and Charles Omenihu as raw lumps of clay that Kocurek has turned into productive NFL players. It'll be intriguing to watch him.
Grade: B
Conclusions
While there's lots to be upset about with the 49ers season so far, the rookie class certainly isn't one of them. This looks to be one of the most productive and potentially roster-changing draft classes in recent history, and if the likes of Pearsall, Green, Puni, and Mustapha continue on their current trajectory, it could even be the foundation of the next great 49ers team.
There's been a great deal of anxiety this year about the team's 'Last Dance' and potential aging of key players, as well as that ever-present panic about 'the closing of the window', but the talent of these young players threatens to keep that window open for just a few more years at least. While some results have been challenging to deal with, it is greatly pleasing to see the ascent of the likes of Mustapha in adversity, and it should serve the team well moving forward.
Overall Grade: A - This may seem high to some, but any draft where you have three presumptive starters from the middle rounds is likely to greatly help your team. With some key veterans hopefully coming back for the season's late run, the rookies should be able to blend in nicely and keep the train rolling down the line as the 49ers hope to make a key, gold-winning stop in New Orleans.
Let me know who your favorite 49ers rookie is in the comments.
