Pro Football Focus didn't list a single San Francisco 49ers player on its list of the NFL's 50 best players entering 2019, nor did any find themselves among the 10 players who just missed the list.
Two 49ers players can hang their hat on the fact that they made at least one offseason list so far — Pete Prisco's Top 100 NFL Players of 2019. Although, the first 49ers entry did not come in until just outside the top 50. You will find fourth-year Pro Bowl defensive tackle DeForest Buckner at No. 51.
"His sack numbers went from three in 2017 to 12 last season, which shows you the growth he's making as a player," wrote Prisco.
Buckner's 12 sacks in 2018 were a career-high. He registered 67 combined tackles and three passes defensed through 16 starts to go along with those sacks. Buckner became the first 49ers player since 2012 to have 10-or-more sacks in a single season and in January earned his first trip to the Pro Bowl.
You have to go much further down the list to find the 49ers' second representative, with Pro Bowl tight end George Kittle coming in at No. 70.
"Even on a team with quarterback issues last season, he had 88 catches and averaged an eye-opening 15.6 yards per catch," wrote Prisco.
Most impressive from Kittle's 2018 performance was his 1,377 receiving yards, which set a new NFL single-season record for receiving yards by a tight end. And he did that while catching the football from three different quarterbacks. Kittle also found the end zone five times and, like Buckner, earned his first Pro Bowl trip.
Kittle's 873 yards after the catch was the best in the NFL at any position and over 200 more yards than the next-best tight end, Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs.
H/t to Kirk Larrabee of 24/7 Sports for the find
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