Though free agency doesn't technically open up until Thursday, it's hard not to look at the San Francisco 49ers as one of the biggest losers of free agency.
Gone are some of the team's key contributors from the 2025 NFL season, from Aaron Banks to Charvarius Ward, Talanoa Hufanga, Dre Greenlaw, Deebo Samuel, Leonard Floyd, and Kyle Juszczyk, and in their place, the team has signed… nobody.
Alright, technically, that isn't true; though they may not be household names, the team has given out a few contracts, including to tight end Luke Farrell from the Jacksonville Jaguars, safety Richie Grant from the Atlanta Falcons, and the returns of both Ben Bartch and Patrick Taylor but outside of that quartet, the 49ers have been quite while their division is getting better across the board.
Fortunately, the 49ers do have another option to get better in the 2025 NFL Draft, but after watching the team allow talent all over their depth chart to leave in free agency, ESPN's Field Yates doesn't know what San Francisco GM John Lynch will do with pick 11 in April.
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“They probably have to go with an offensive lineman, as the team has seen both Jaylon Moore and Aaron Banks depart for notable money elsewhere. Prospects to consider would be Kelvin Banks Jr., Grey Zabel, and Ohio State's Josh Simmons. If the Niners don't deem those players or another lineman worthy at No. 11 — which is possible! — I'm not sure where they'd pivot,” Yates wrote.
“Consider that San Francisco has lost Moore, Banks, Charvarius Ward, Talanoa Hufanga, Dre Greenlaw, Deebo Samuel Sr., Elijah Mitchell, and Joshua Dobbs over the past week. That's a lot of spots to fill.”
On one hand, going into the 2025 NFL Draft with a commitment to taking the best player available is never a bad idea, as reaching for a prospect who plays a certain position is the easiest way to watch a team fall apart. With that being said, there is such a thing as having too many holes, and if the 49ers wanted their skid in 2024 to be a one-year bump on the road to Super Bowl greatness, they certainly have to figure out a way to add NFL-ready talent stat.
