Free agency isn’t over, but the San Francisco 49ers have left their impact on the first couple of days. It started with Mike Evans on Monday, and the team came back by trading for Osa Odighizuwa. The team also supplemented its offensive line depth by adding Vederian Lowe and Bret Toth.
Who benefited the most? Which deals meant a pending free agent didn’t get an offer? Let’s get into the winners and losers of free agency for the 49ers through the first wave.
Looking at the Super Bowl odds on FanDuel Sportsbook, had the 12th-highest odds to win the Super Bowl at +2000, the sixth-best odds to win the NFC at +1000, and the third-best odds to win the NFC West at +360.
Since then, the Niners have jumped up to third in the NFC in odds at +800, have seen the NFC West odds jump to +280, and are up to sixth to win the Super Bowl at +1600.
Mykel Williams
The 49ers are surrounding their first-round pick from 2025 with Nick Bosa, Bryce Huff, and now arguably a top-three interior pass rusher. Williams could not be walking into a better situation in Year 2.
Mykel may need some time to round back into football shape and get his legs back under him after a season-ending knee injury. The addition of Odighizuwa means Williams doesn’t need to rush back. It also takes the pressure off Williams to be “the guy” right away.
The 49ers didn’t take Mykel early if they didn’t think the youngster could develop into a disruptive force. Now, if he becomes that, the 49ers have three legitimate pass rushers on the defensive line with Huff as the fourth-best rusher. If Williams plateaus to an Arik Armstead kind of player, then we are looking at the 2022 dominant defensive line.
The ceiling of the 49ers’ defense may hinge on whether Mykel is who the team thinks he is, but adding Odighizuwa allows Williams to develop at his own pace, while allowing him to continue to play on the edge and kick inside.
Alfred Collins and CJ West
As you can see, the addition of Odighizuwa knocks everybody else back into their respective roles. We’re talking specifically about the 2025 rookies. The 49ers don’t make this trade if they saw any semblance of a consistent pass rush from their rookie tackle duo.
If Collins and West end up being nothing more than stout run defenders, adding Osa to the defensive line room lets those two continue to hone their craft as pass rushers. The 49ers’ run defense was much better with the two rookies on the field last season. The assumption is that either or both of those two can ascend into the upper echelon of run defenders.
Playing alongside elite players tends to bring out the best in role players. The 49ers are banking on Odighizuwa to maintain his top-notch level of play. If he does that, he will bring out the best in Collins and West. I liken it to Week 15 of 2024 when Dre Greenlaw returned. Everybody was on their best behavior against the Rams that day.
That’s what the 49ers are hoping Odighizuwa does for the rookie defensive linemen from 2025.
Brock Purdy
When the 49ers offense needed to operate a two-minute drill in the Wild Card round, Brock Purdy looked to his right and had Malik Turner and Kendrick Bourne as options at wide receiver.
As much of a fan favorite(and Kyle Shanahan favorite) as Jauan Jennings is, the 49ers are effectively replacing that role—which was filled by an overachieving undrafted free agent—with a former first-round pick and Hall of Famer in Mike Evans.
I think we’re going to look back on Jennings’ tenure and be amazed at the production Shanahan’s offense was able to squeeze out of him.
Evans gives Purdy a wide receiver with a history of winning in isolated situations. Jennings was known to be a first-down machine. Evans first down percentage was nearly two points higher than Jennings. Evans also has two inches and 20 pounds on Jennings, not to mention he’s probably about two steps faster. We will see all of those play out next season, because we know Purdy will give Evans every opportunity.
Jauan Jennings
The 49ers gave Evans the contract Jennings was probably asking for. The Niners are expected to lose Jennings in free agency. This is through no fault of his own. When presented with Evans or Jennings, there isn’t a decision to be made. Jennings gave the team his all, played through injury, and exceeded expectations.
But the signing of Evans signals who the “big wide receiver” will be in Shanahan’s offense, and that’s not Jennings.
Spencer Burford, Matt Hennesy, and Ben Bartch
Vederian Lowe and Bret Toth are in, Spencer Burford and Ben Bartch are out. The 49ers are going with experienced players from playoff teams and not relying on the oft-injured Bartch or the mistake-prone Burford.
We will see if Burford gets another shot somewhere else. The 49ers gave him playing time at multiple spots, and the consistency was never there. The numbers suggest Lowe and Toth are better spot starters, which is why the team turned the page from their pending free agents along the offensive line.
Jones won’t get the opportunity to start if the 49ers’ asking price is astronomical. Deep down, Jones wants to start. He told us he feels like one. But if the team isn’t willing to move off Jones unless the offer is a no-brainer, then Jones will continue to sit behind Purdy.
Is it not bizarre that the team isn’t capitalizing on Jones’ market? Let’s say a team needs a quarterback right before the draft or the trade deadline. Will his value be any better than it is now? Maybe before the draft. But the further we get away from the 2025 season, the more teams might remember Jones is a backup.