The Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams were the two best teams in the NFC \u2014 perhaps even the entire NFL \u2014 this season.<\/p>\n
And with a 12-5 record during the regular season, the 49ers were not far behind.<\/p>\n
Seattle is moving onto Super Bowl LX, where it is a 4.5-point favorite over the New England Patriots. The Seahawks advanced with a 31-27 NFC Championship Game victory over the Rams.<\/p>\n
The strengths of Seattle and Los Angeles provide strong indicators as the 49ers set out this offseason to make the necessary improvements to make a run in 2026.<\/p>\n
Here are the areas in which San Francisco can make the most-impactful improvements next season:<\/p>\n
Edge rusher<\/p>\n
The 49ers figure to get Nick Bosa and Mykel Williams back from their respective ACL surgeries. But they need more. They need a lot more.<\/p>\n
Seattle and the Rams have young, deep, dynamic defensive linemen. Both teams registered 47 sacks on the season.<\/p>\n
The 49ers had the worst pass rush in the entire NFL. They recorded just 20 sacks on the season. If Bosa returns to full strength, he will definitely help. Other than him, the 49ers have nobody. Clelin Ferrell and Bryce Huff led the team with just four sacks apiece.<\/p>\n
Williams should be a good player down the road, but he is not considered a sack master. In his best season at Georgia, he had five sacks.<\/p>\n
A good pass rush will help the defense in so many ways. The 49ers\u2019 had just six interceptions during the regular season and none in two playoff games. That\u2019s because the 49ers were unable to make quarterbacks uncomfortable and force mistakes.<\/p>\n
Wide receiver<\/p>\n
The Seahawks have Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who caught 119 passes for 1,793 yards and 10 touchdowns.<\/p>\n
The Rams have Puka Nacua, who had 129 receptions for 1,715 yards and 10 touchdowns.<\/p>\n
The 49ers do not have a dynamic, consistent wide receiver capable of beating press man coverage and getting open quickly for quarterback Brock Purdy.<\/p>\n
San Francisco drafted Ricky Pearsall and signed Brandon Aiyuk to a lucrative contract extension. Those were logical moves at the time.<\/p>\n
But Aiyuk got injured and separated himself from the team. Pearsall has been able to show only flashes of why the team selected him with the No. 31 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.<\/p>\n
The 49ers still have high hopes for Pearsall. Aiyuk has played his final game with the organization<\/a>, general manager John Lynch said last week.<\/p>\n This figures to again be a deep draft at wide receiver, and the 49ers should have options to improve that position throughout the draft.<\/p>\n Defensive tackle<\/p>\n The 49ers\u2019 starting defensive tackles this season, Jordan Elliott and Kalia Davis, are scheduled for free agency.<\/p>\n San Francisco selected two defensive tackles within the first three rounds of the 2025 draft, and both of those players should be key contributors for a while. Alfred Collins should be a starter in 2026, and CJ West figures to be at least a rotational piece.<\/p>\n The 49ers gave up 4.3 yards per carry on the ground on the season. But on first downs, the 49ers gave up 4.6 during the regular season and 6.1 yards in their two postseason games.<\/p>\n In comparison, Seattle gave up 3.7 yards per rushing attempt. Getting All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner will help, but the 49ers must also beef up the interior of their defensive line.<\/p>\n Offensive line<\/p>\n The 49ers’ run game has to get back to its pre-2025 form. And the team eventually will need a left tackle to take over for Trent Williams, who turns 38 in July and enters the final year of his contract.<\/p>\n If the 49ers draft a tackle, he won\u2019t be a starter as a rookie unless he begins his career at left guard. Williams and Colton McKivitz have the tackle spots locked down.<\/p>\n Currently, left guard is the only position on the 49ers\u2019 offensive line where the door appears to be open for the 49ers to add a new starter in 2026. The best-case scenario would be to draft a long-term tackle who begins his NFL career at guard.<\/p>\n Depending on how the draft falls, the 49ers very well could take an offensive lineman at the end of the first round even if they might not see any benefits from that move for a while.<\/p>\n Other positions of interest<\/p>\n