How much better is the 49ers’ roster heading into 2026 than 2025?

The San Francisco 49ers made the playoffs in 2025, were among the best teams in the strongest conference and division, but still felt like they were a tier below the Seahawks and the Rams. The gap is primarily due to the rosters. The 49ers’ top-heavy approach didn’t work out last year because their stars went down with injury.

It’s why adding depth and laying the foundation in this draft was so critical for the Niners. An aggressive offseason put San Francisco back in the catbird seat of the NFC. My early prediction is that they’ll battle the Rams, Lions, and Cowboys for the best record in the conference.

Today, we’ll focus on how much the 49ers will improve compared to the product they put on the field last season by going through each position. Quarterback No changes here. The trade market for Mac Jones never heated up .

Kurtis Rourke had a mini-audition back in December, after practicing for a few weeks. How much of that performance was tied to the team’s asking price, which was allegedly astronomical . In an ideal world, neither step onto the field in 2026, and we see a full season of Brock Purdy’s playmaking ability in the Kyle Shanahan offense.