July 14, 2026, 8:00 p.m. PT
CBS Sports kept the San Francisco 49ers’ quarterback-running back-wide receiver trio at No. 8 in its updated positional group rankings, even after swapping in newly signed Mike Evans for the injured George Kittle.
Brock Purdy and Christian McCaffrey remain the other two-thirds of the group, which posted an average ranking of 8.3 among CBS Sports voters, with a high mark of fifth and a low mark of 12th. The 49ers were the first team in the rankings to draw any top-five votes, a sign of the ceiling evaluators see in the trio when healthy and clicking within Kyle Shanahan’s system.
San Francisco is one of just two teams — along with Cleveland — that stayed in the exact same spot on the list as last year, despite swapping Kittle out for Evans following Kittle’s Achilles injury. CBS Sports once again noted the difficulty in ranking the group, pointing to multiple variables that make projecting the trio’s output a challenge.
Not only do you have to disentangle their players from the Kyle Shanahan system, you also have to figure out how to feel about injury issues at multiple spots… as well as the gap between McCaffrey’s rushing efficiency and his prowess as a receiver out of the backfield.
Purdy missed extended time a season ago, and questions about his availability remain part of the calculus. McCaffrey, meanwhile, continues to draw scrutiny over the split between his rushing production and his effectiveness as a pass-catcher, even as he remains one of the most versatile backs in the league when on the field.
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Evans steps into the group after Kittle’s Achilles injury forced a change at the position, bringing a veteran receiving presence to a 49ers offense that has leaned heavily on McCaffrey and Purdy’s decision-making since the group’s core came together. Kittle, though, will return in 2026, but his ability will also be questioned as he recovers from a major injury and therefore couldn’t be part of the trio ranking.
The stability in the ranking suggests evaluators view the trio’s floor and ceiling as largely unchanged with Evans in the fold, even as the makeup of the group shifts. San Francisco will look to translate that evaluation into on-field results as the 2026 season approaches, with health remaining the biggest swing factor for a trio that has flashed top-five upside in the eyes of at least one voter.