Last season, the 49ers went 1-5 against the NFC West and finished dead last in the division.
This season, the 49ers aren’t the worst team in the NFC West anymore — they’re the second worst behind the Rams and the Cardinals according to Pro Football Focus.
“The 49ers endured plenty of bad luck in 2024, winning only six games on the season,” writes PFF analyst Dalton Wasserman. “However, they were the NFL’s ninth-highest graded team and should be better with a return to health. They didn’t do much in free agency but were determined to repair their run defense in the draft, doing so with the additions of defensive linemen Mykel Williams, Alfred Collins and CJ West.”
The Rams clearly are the best team in the NFC West, while the Seahawks are the one team that seems to be rebuilding. And then there are the Cardinals and the 49ers, two teams that are trying to overhaul their defenses this offseason.
The 49ers did most of their overhauling in the draft, while the Cardinals signed three starting defensive linemen in free agency and drafted two more D-linemen early. Which means the Cardinals’ defense might be better than the 49ers’ defense next season.
That’s why the Cardinals currently rank second in PFF’s NFC West power ranking and the 49ers rank third.
Of course, the Cardinals usually start hot and then cool off. This year, the 49ers could improve as the season goes along considering all the rookies they’ll have on the field.
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