Pro Football Focus recently unveiled its list of the top 100 impending NFL free agents, and four San Francisco 49ers players earned spots within the ranking. This offseason promises to be pivotal for the 49ers as the team looks to rebound from a disappointing 2024 season while facing some tough financial decisions.
With quarterback Brock Purdy slated to consume a significant portion of the salary cap for years to come, strategic spending will be essential to the team's future.
Here are the 49ers' scheduled free agents who made Pro Football Focus' top 100 list.
CB Charvarius Ward
Rank: 13
Projected contract: Three years, $43.5 million
An average annual salary of $14.5 million would rank Charvarius Ward 14th among NFL cornerbacks.
"Ward struggled in 2024 and posted career lows in a number of PFF metrics, but his overall body of work will keep him as one of the top options on the market in 2025. Last year was his best in the NFL to date, with his 86.5 PFF coverage grade ranking third among all players at the position. With cornerback teammate Deommodore Lenoir receiving an in-season extension, the writing appears to be on the wall that Ward will be on the way out of San Francisco."
LB Dre Greenlaw
Rank: 18
Projected contract: One year, $6 million
A $6 million salary would rank Dre Greenlaw 29th among NFL linebackers.
Pro Football Focus' notes:
"Greenlaw worked his way back from an Achilles injury he suffered in the Super Bowl last February but was shut down after only 34 snaps in 2024. He will still likely see a lot of interest in free agency. He excels in coverage, having earned PFF coverage grades of 82.6 and 79.5 over the past two seasons."
S Talanoa Hufanga
Rank: 23
Projected contract: Two years, $25 million
An average annual salary of $12.5 million would rank Talanoa Hufanga 9th among NFL safeties.
Pro Football Focus' notes:
"A fifth-round draft pick in 2021, Hufanga earned PFF coverage grades above 65.0 in both 2022 and 2023. He played just 308 snaps in 2024 due to injury and earned a career-low 57.8 PFF overall grade."
G Aaron Banks
Rank: 73
Projected contract: Three years, $25.5 million
An $8.5 million annual salary would rank Aaron Banks 22nd among NFL guards.
Pro Football Focus' notes:
"The former second-round pick showed steady growth over his four-year rookie deal, though he never eclipsed 90% of snaps played in a season at a position where you'd like to play as close to 100% as possible. Banks moves very well in the run game for his size, which is presumably what made him most attractive to the 49ers in the first place, but still has room to grow in pass protection."
