PFF’s best and worst graded 49ers players vs. Saints, plus snap counts

The San Francisco 49ers secured a 16-10 preseason victory over the New Orleans Saints at Levi's Stadium on Sunday. Today, Pro Football Focus released its grades from the game. Which Niners stood out, and who has more work to do?

Below are Pro Football Focus' five highest-graded 49ers players on offense against the Saints.

• Isaac Alarcon, RT, 78.1, 15 snaps
• Ke'Shawn Vaughn, RB, 73.6, 7 snaps
• Joshua Dobbs, QB, 73.3, 29 snaps
• Dominick Puni, RG, 72.4, 40 snaps
• Jacob Cowing, WR, 69.5, 50 snaps

Below are the five highest-graded 49ers players on defense.

• Alex Barrett, DE, 93.5, 33 snaps
• Curtis Robinson, LB, 78.6, 30 snaps
• Jonathan Garvin, DE, 77.7, 20 snaps
• George Odum, FS, 77.1, 6 snaps
• De'Vondre Campbell, LB, 72.7, 13 snaps

Below are the three lowest-graded 49ers players on offense.

• Brock Purdy, QB, 29.2, 11 snaps
• Lewis Kidd, LT, 47.1, 15 snaps
• Danny Gray, WR, 48.7, 13 snaps

Below are the three lowest-graded 49ers players on defense.

• Kevin Givens, DT, 30.3, 16 snaps
• Nick Williams, DT, 32.2, 16 snaps
• Jordan Elliott, DT, 35.5, 16 snaps

Quick Takeaways

Joshua Dobbs was the highest-graded quarterback of the game with a 73.6 rating. He completed 12 of 21 passes for 133 yards, adding three carries for 25 rushing yards and a touchdown.


Quarterback Brandon Allen earned an overall grade of 65.3, while Tanner Mordecai received a 61.4 grade.

Brock Purdy had a tough outing with few starters around him. The 49ers' starting quarterback was consistently under pressure and took several hits. He completed just 2-of-6 passes for 11 yards, finishing with the game's lowest grade of 29.2.

Offensive lineman Isaac Alarcon not only earned the highest grade among 49ers offensive players but also achieved the team's best run-blocking grade (83.1) during his 15 snaps at right tackle. Rookie guard Dominick Puni, with an overall grade of 72.4, was among the team's top pass blockers (81.2), allowing just one pressure in his 30 pass-blocking snaps (40 total).

Jaylon Moore, filling in for Trent Williams at left tackle, received an overall grade of 62.1. He allowed three pressures, including two hits and a hurry, in his 30 pass-blocking snaps (40 total).

Right tackle Colton McKivitz earned a solid 74.4 pass-blocking grade but his 52.7 run-blocking grade suggests there is room for improvement.

Wide receiver Jacob Cowing rounded out the top five on offense with a 69.5 overall grade. He caught four passes for 51 yards on five targets and returned two punts for 19 yards.

Tight end Jake Tonges was the highest-graded player at his position, finishing with three catches for 22 yards on three targets.

Running back Ke'Shawn Vaughn was the 49ers' highest-graded running back, earning a 73.6 mark, while Cody Schrader was a distant second with a 60.5 overall grade. Vaughn had 12 yards on two carries, and Schrader contributed 15 yards on seven carries, along with two kick returns, averaging 28 yards per return.

Defensive end Alex Barrett stood out with the highest overall grade of any 49ers player at 93.5. In his 33 snaps, 17 of which were pass-rushing, he recorded three tackles, a sack, four pressures, and a forced fumble. Barrett also achieved a 93.3 pass-rushing grade, the highest of the game.

Safety George Odum, who has impressed with the first-team defense in training camp while filling in for Talanoa Hufanga, earned the highest defensive grade (77.1) among 49ers defensive backs. He was targeted once, resulting in a two-yard completion.

Second-year safety Ji'Ayir Brown, a projected starter, just missed the top five 49ers defenders with a 72.0 defensive grade, recording one tackle.

Rookie safety Malik Mustapha recorded five tackles against the Saints, but two missed tackles led to a poor 28.9 tackling grade. Fellow rookie defensive back, cornerback Renardo Green, earned a 47.7 defensive grade but posted a solid 75.1 tackling grade.

Snap Counts

Offense
58 - Jarrett Kingston (RG)
50 - Jacob Cowing (WR)
45 - Ronnie Bell (WR)
40 - Colton McKivitz (RT), Dominick Puni (RG), Jaylon Moore (LT), Nick Zakelj (LG)
34 - Cameron Latu (TE)
33 - Matt Breida (RB)
30 - Brayden Willis (TE), Tay Martin (WR)
29 - Cody Schrader (RB), Drake Nugent (C), Joshua Dobbs (QB), Sebastian Gutierrez (LG), Trent Taylor (WR)
22 - Jake Tonges (TE)
15 - Isaac Alarcon (RT), Lewis Kidd (LT), Tanner Mordecai (QB)
14 - Brandon Allen (QB), Brandon Parker (RT), Chris Hubbard (RT)
13 - Danny Gray (WR)
11 - Brock Purdy (QB), Chris Conley (WR), Jake Brendel (C)
9 - Eric Saubert (TE)
7 - Ke'Shawn Vaughn (RB)
3 - Mason Pline (TE)

Defense
56 - Jalen Graham (LB)
48 - Darrell Luter Jr. (CB)
46 - Samuel Womack III (CB)
45 - Rock Ya-Sin (CB)
40 - Malik Mustapha (SS)
38 - Jaylen Mahoney (FS), Sam Okuayinonu (DE)
35 - Tatum Bethune (LB), Tracy Walker III (SS)
33 - Alex Barrett (DE), Robert Beal Jr. (DE)
32 - Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles (LB), Evan Anderson (DT), Renardo Green (CB), T.Y. McGill (DT)
30 - Curtis Robinson (LB)
28 - Shakel Brown (DT)
20 - Jonathan Garvin (DE)
16 - Jordan Elliott (DT), Kevin Givens (DT), Nick Williams (DT), Yetur Gross-Matos (DE)
15 - Tayler Hawkins (FS)
13 - Chase Lucas (CB), De'Vondre Campbell (LB)
6 - George Odum (FS), Ji'Ayir Brown (SS)

Special Teams
13 - Curtis Robinson, Jalen Graham
12 - Malik Mustapha
11 - Eric Saubert, Tatum Bethune
10 - Chase Lucas, Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles, Jake Moody (K), Jaylen Mahoney, Tay Martin
9 - Darrell Luter Jr., Taybor Pepper (LS)
8 - Ke'Shawn Vaughn, Robert Beal Jr.
7 - Cameron Latu, Cody Schrader, Rock Ya-Sin
6 - Jacob Cowing, Jake Tonges, Samuel Womack III
5 - Brandon Parker, George Odum, Mitch Wishnowsky (P), Tayler Hawkins
4 - Alex Barrett, Mason Pline, Pressley Harvin III (P), Renardo Green, Sam Okuayinonu
3 - Chris Conley, Chris Hubbard, Colton McKivitz, Dominick Puni, Jaylon Moore, Nick Zakelj
2 - Drake Nugent, Isaac Alarcon, Jarrett Kingston, Jontre Kirklin, Lewis Kidd, Matt Breida, Sebastian Gutierrez
1 - Brayden Willis, Ji'Ayir Brown, Jonathan Garvin, Jordan Elliott, Kevin Givens, Shakel Brown, T.Y. McGill, Tracy Walker III, Yetur Gross-Matos