The San Francisco 49ers have been one of the most active teams in free agency thus far, adding 11 free agents, with wide receiver Mike Evans leading the charge as the top signee.

Heading into the offseason, the 49ers were in a great spot financially, even with Trent Williams holding a $38.8 million cap hit (which has since increased to over $47 million). That allowed them to target their needs, as they added a top wide receiver, traded for a starting defensive tackle, and got depth at left tackle, left guard, wideout, linebacker, and cornerback.

There are still a few more holes to address, such as defensive end following the retirement of Bryce Huff, but the 49ers are in no rush to sign free agents and could wait until the compensatory formula is no longer a factor.

So far, where do the 49ers rank amongst the most improved rosters in the NFL?

ESPN’s Ben Solak recently did a ranking of the most improved rosters in the NFL, taking into account the following factors:

The value they got for the money they spentThe flexibility of their roster approaching the draftThe contract details that provide them leverageHow they manipulated the compensatory pick formulaWhat they could have done but didn’t do

He also looked into key departures, while grading on the following factors more than those who just spent the most money.

With that said, Solak had the 49ers at No. 2 on the most improved list, trailing only the Pittsburgh Steelers. What did he like the most?

“The Evans deal. This was one of the most team-friendly signings in this free agency period,” Solak wrote. “With only $14 million guaranteed at signing and most of his 2027 and 2028 money tied into option bonuses, the 49ers are committed to Evans for only one season, which would be important should he look completely unplayable in his age-33 season. Far more likely, Evans should fill a valuable role of vertical specialist, third-down stick mover and red zone matchup nightmare.

“Remember the short-yardage issues that the Niners endured against the Seahawks’ stifling run defense? Evans is the answer to that. If he’s even 75% of his prime self, the 49ers got an enormous deal on a ring-chasing veteran leader.”

Additionally, there wasn’t a move Solak didn’t like, citing the trade for Osa Odighizuwa and the signing of Christian Kirk as key moves.

“The Odighizuwa trade was an enormous boon,” Solak continued. “A third-round pick for a rising 28-year-old with three years of team control at a premium position of massive need? Home run! And the fliers on Hobbs and Greenlaw should be exactly the shot in the arm this defense needs. At worst, they will play rotational roles; at best, they could return to starting form.

“I had WR depth questions, too, but in comes Kirk. If the 49ers can just keep Trent Williams in the building for one more year and get full recoveries from Mykel Williams (knee) and Nick Bosa (knee), I’ll be a full believer.”

At No. 2, the 49ers ranked well above the rest of the NFC West. The Los Angeles Rams came in at No. 12, with Solak pointing out the team’s fearlessness in the trade for Trent McDuffie and the signing of Jaylen Watson. But, they got dinged for not having a WR3 yet.

The Arizona Cardinals came in at No. 16, thanks to solid value on deals for guard Isaac Seumalo and Tyler Allgeier, while they got dinged for their lack of plan at quarterback. The Seattle Seahawks, meanwhile, were all the way at No. 25, due to the amount of talent that left the building.

The 49ers still have a lot of room to add to their roster with cap space remaining and six draft picks still left in the 2026 NFL Draft. But they’re off to a good start in the offseason.