The 49ers have one of the deepest rosters in the NFL. It’s so deep that there are a handful of Pro Bowl-caliber contributors who can’t even crack the list of the top 10 players on the team (apologies to DE Arik Armstead).
See who cracks the list in this Betway Insider Top 10.
Ranking the Top 10 San Fransico 49ers Players in the 2023 NFL Season to bet on
- Dre Greenlaw
Position: Linebacker
2022 stats: 15 games, 127 total tackles, 3 TFL, 6 passes defended, 2 FF
Career stats: 52 games, 363 total tackles, 16 TFL, 12 passes defended, 2 FF
49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw cracked the NFL’s top 100 list prior to the season for the first time in his career, checking in at the #79 slot. The former fifth-round pick made an immediate impact as a rookie in 2019, partnering with LB Fred Werner to form one of the most dominant linebacking duos in the NFL.
Both Greenlaw and Warner cracked PFF’s top 10 NFL linebackers list heading into the 2023 season, highlighted by Greenlaw’s jump to an 82.7 coverage grade in 2022. Greenlaw is one of the most underrated players on the 2023 49ers roster.
- Brock Purdy
Position: Quarterback
2022 stats: 5 starts, 5-0 record, 67.1%, 1374 yards, 13-4 TD-INT
Career stats: 11 starts, 10-1 record, 67.3%, 2770 yards, 23-5 TD-INT
San Francisco QB Brock Purdy hasn’t just had one of the best starts to an NFL career of a late-round draft pick (in case you didn’t know, he was the final selection in the 2022 NFL Draft, 262nd overall), but one of the best of any QB in NFL history.
The questions will always linger: is Purdy a product of HC Kyle Shanahan’s system and the elite weapons around him (keep reading), or is he independently good?
In the meanwhile, Purdy is certainly one of the 49ers' more important players. He’s at least solidified himself as a rock in the 49ers starting lineup.
- Talanoa Hufanga
Position: Safety
2022 stats: 17 games, 4 INT, 2.0 sacks, 97 tackles, 5 TFL
Career stats: 38 games, 6 INT, 2.0 sacks, 153 tackles, 7 TFL
49ers safety Talanoa Hufanga took one of the biggest leaps of any NFL player from 2021-2022. In his rookie 2021 campaign, he was a special teams ace whose biggest play was a blocked punt against the Packers in the playoffs. In 2022, he was a First-team All-Pro starting safety who did enough to be ranked as the 78th-best player entering the 2023 season.
The fact that an All-Pro caliber player is slotting in at #8 on our list is less an indictment on Hufanga and more a testament to the depth of the 49ers roster. He’s off to a hot start in 2023 with two interceptions in the first six games.
Hufanga has as much potential as almost any of the young defensive players on the 49ers.
- Javon Hargrave
Position: Defensive Tackle
2022 stats: 17 games, 11.0 sacks, 60 tackles, 10 TFL
Career stats: 117 games, 49.5 sacks, 347 tackles, 50 TFL
Former Eagles DT Javon Hargrave signed a massive four-year, $84 million contract with the 49ers in the offseason. He was coming off his best campaign in 2022, tallying a career-best 11.0 sacks.
Hargrave started off 2023 on a heater, tallying an impressive 90.6 PFF grade through the first three weeks of the 2023 NFL season. While the Eagles replaced Hargrave with rookie DT Jalen Carter, the city of brotherly love surely misses Hargrave’s dominant interior presence.
49ers fans certainly love Hargrave’s karate-kick sack celebration. Want a good 49ers prop bet? As long as Nick Bosa is playing alongside him, keep betting the over on Hargrave sacks.
- Deebo Samuel
Position: Wide Receiver
2022 stats: 56 receptions, 632 yards, 2 TDs, 42 rush, 232 yards, 3 rush TDs
Career stats: 243 receptions, 3532 yards, 13 TDs, 141 rush, 877 yards, 15 rush TDs
When 49ers WR Deebo Samuel is healthy and firing, he’s one of the most versatile players in the NFL. In the 2021 season, he totaled 1770 yards from scrimmage and 14 TDs, earning First-team All-Pro honors in the process.
Samuel was slowed by injuries in 2022 (sans the occasional big play) and is currently battling the injury bug yet again in 2023. While he is no longer the clear-cut go-to guy for touches in the 49ers offense, Samuel’s presence still helps San Francisco click.
- George Kittle
Position: Tight End
2022 stats: 60 receptions, 765 yards, 11 TDs
Career stats: 413 receptions, 5470 yards, 34 TDs
49ers TE George Kittle probably won’t be putting up the record-setting receiving numbers he was early in his career anytime soon. He posted a freakish 1377 yards in 2018 but has since transitioned into a more complete player.
PFF ranked Kittle as the second-best tight end for his performances in the 2022 NFL season, and he clocked in at a gaudy #19 ranking on the NFL Top 100 list ahead of the 2023 campaign.
Kittle has been a 4x Pro Bowler already in his young career. A great 49ers player prop is taking the over on Kittle receiving touchdowns going forward.
- Christian McCaffrey
Position: Running Back
2022 stats: 244 rush, 1138 yards, 8 TDs, 85 receptions, 741 yards, 5 TDs
Career stats: 1135 rush, 5279 yards, 45 TDs, 465 receptions, 3933 yards, 24 TDs
Oh look, yet another San Francisco skill player! This time it’s running back Christian McCaffrey, who could also be classified as a slot receiver based on how he’s been used historically as a player.
For the 2023 season, McCaffrey has been at his best as a runner: his 553 yards through six games leads the NFL. He’s been an elite duel-threat weapon in the past, topping both 1000+ yards rushing AND receiving during the 2019 campaign with the Carolina Panthers. The 2x Pro Bowler looks destined to add to that tally while he’s a 49er.
- Fred Warner
Position: Linebacker
2022 stats: 17 games, 1 INT, 2.0 sacks, 130 tackles, 3 TFL
Career stats: 87 games, 6 INT, 8.5 sacks, 682 tackles, 28 TFL
49ers LB Fred Warner has been the gold standard at middle linebacker, making two First-team All-Pro squads and being a regular amongst the league leaders in tackles. He ranked at 15th on the NFL Top 100 list ahead of the 2023 NFL season.
Unsurprisingly, Warner is also a PFF darling. He was ranked as the #1 NFL MLB by PFF ahead of the 2023 season and has shown no signs of slowing down in 2023.
- Nick Bosa
Position: Defensive End
2022 stats: 16 games, 18.5 sacks, 51 tackles, 19 TFL, 48 QB hits
Career stats: 57 games, 45.5 sacks, 61 TFL, 122 QB hits
49ers DE Nick Bosa did everything he possibly could to earn the #1 spot on this list. He won the 2022 NFL Defensive Player of the Year award on the basis of his league-leading 18.5 sacks.
Bosa ranked #4 on the NFL Top 100 list ahead of the 2023 season and looks well on his way to being in the mix for the most sacks in NFL history. The 3x Pro Bowler also has 8.0 sacks in just nine playoff games for the 49ers.
Another good 49ers prop bet is betting the over on Bosa sacks as he rounds into form.
- Trent Williams
Position: Offensive Tackle
2022 stats: 14 games
Career stats: 169 games
Yes, San Francisco OT Trent Williams is that good. So good, in fact, that he’s the best player on the 2023 49ers. While the NFL top 100 saw him as the #14 player in the league, we would argue that he should be higher up.
Williams has been a First-team All-Pro in two of his three seasons in the Bay. He’s made 10x Pro Bowls in his career (3x in San Fran) and shows no signs of slowing down, even at 35 years old.
PFF ranked Williams as the best tackle in the NFL ahead of the 2023 season and the best player in the NFL over 30 years old -- ahead of the likes of DT Aaron Donald and TE Travis Kelce. Not too shabby.
Parameters of Rankings
Rankings are made based on a combination of 1) individual accomplishments, 2) team success, 3) franchise legacy, and 4) personal accolades.
Related:
- The 10 greatest 49ers players of all time
- Top 10 greatest 49ers QBs in history
- The 10 greatest 49ers head coaches in history
- Top 10 49ers running backs in history
- Top 10 49ers Defensive players of all time
- Top 10 49ers 49ers wide receivers of all time
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