The San Francisco 49ers have a handful of players on their roster that can be considered franchise building blocks, but this is still a team in the early stages of a rebuild.
DeForest Buckner and Arik Armstead are the most intriguing players on the San Francisco 49ers roster. They both have flashed the upside needed to dominate the line of scrimmage. San Francisco is counting on them to create a powerful and disruptive defensive line.
At this stage in their development, Buckner looks like the better player and the one more likely to fulfill his potential. Armstead has had some injury issues that have kept him off the field at times. This has stunted his growth.
Eric Reid is someone the team still sees as a building block, but is also someone that has had his share of injury problems. The 49ers will likely give him several more chances to establish himself as a long-term starter.
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Maybe the most disappointing player on the defensive side of the ball is Aaron Lynch. He’s already in his 3rd season and has severely underperformed. His 1.5 sacks in six games this season makes him a major question mark moving forward.
The offensive side of the ball is in a little better shape with Joe Staley, Carols Hyde and Vance McDonald in the mix. Staley is an important piece for the 49ers rebuild because of his leadership and history of performing at a high level.
He’ll be asked to play a major role in keeping the team’s new franchise quarterback healthy and upright.
Hyde had a really strong season and showed that he’s capable of being the team’s every-down back. The only real hiccup is his health and durability. He needs to show he can stay on the field for a full 16-game schedule.
The 49ers did a much better job utilizing Vance McDonald this season. He’s a pass-catching tight end who has the ability to make big plays down the field. McDonald will provide whatever quarterback is under center with a major weapon.
San Francisco is hoping that Josh Garnett takes a major step forward in his development and becomes one of the team’s main pieces. They traded some valuable assets in order to move up in the 2016 NFL Draft to bring him into the mix.
Overall, the 49ers are a team that has a lot of work ahead in the rebuild process. The biggest task is finding a franchise quarterback to build around.
