The 49ers’ early NFL free agency moves already are earning national recognition.

ESPN’s Aaron Schatz listed San Francisco as one of the league’s five most improved teams following the opening week of free agency, highlighting the team’s additions on both sides of the ball.

The early evaluation places the 49ers alongside the Carolina Panthers, Kansas City Chiefs, New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers as teams that improved the most during the first wave of free agency.

For San Francisco, Schatz pointed to the signing of veteran wide receiver Mike Evans as the team’s best move of the offseason so far.

“The 49ers made only one major signing, but it was a really good one,” Schatz wrote. “Evans is exactly the kind of receiver that the 49ers were missing in a couple of ways.”

The 6-foot-5 receiver gives San Francisco a large perimeter target capable of winning contested catches, Schatz added, while also bringing veteran leadership to a locker room looking to rebound after an injury-plagued 2025 NFL season.

Evans enters his 13th NFL season with an impressive résumé. He recorded 11 consecutive 1,000-yard seasons to begin his career, though injuries limited him to just eight games last year.

ESPN also highlighted offensive tackle Vederian Lowe as the 49ers’ most underrated addition.

“Lowe is not the best player out there; his pass block win rate was 89.2 percent last season, which is below average, although his run block win rate was an above-average 75.7 percent,” Schatz wrote. “However, he fits well in San Francisco as a swing tackle just in case something happens with Trent Williams‘ contract situation or in case 37-year-old Williams comes back but gets hurt during the 2026 season.”

San Francisco’s other key offseason moves included trading for defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa and re-signing linebacker Dre Greenlaw, who returns to reunite with All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner.

While the offseason is far from over, San Francisco’s first moves appear to have positioned the team well heading toward the 2026 campaign.

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