The San Francisco 49ers still have the 2026 NFL Draft ahead, but the team made significant strides in free agency to strengthen a roster that won 12 games and reached the playoffs last season—despite battling a wave of injuries.
San Francisco added several key pieces, including wide receivers Mike Evans and Christian Kirk. The team also reunited with linebacker Dre Greenlaw and traded for defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa.
The response to the 49ers' offseason moves has been overwhelmingly positive. Sports Illustrated analyst Conor Orr recently ranked the NFL's five most improved teams following free agency, placing San Francisco at No. 2—behind only the Las Vegas Raiders.
Rounding out Orr's top five are the Denver Broncos (No. 3), Los Angeles Rams (No. 4), and Houston Texans (No. 5).
Orr views the addition of Evans as the most impactful move. The veteran receiver could help open up the offense for players like running back Christian McCaffrey, who faced an eight-man box on nearly 30% of his snaps last season.
"It's both an obvious investment in the remaining years of a versatile running back and bolstering the skills of a red zone offense that was already one of the best in the NFL at converting red zone trips to touchdowns," Orr wrote.
Orr suggests the 49ers' more aggressive-than-usual free agency approach may reflect a perceived mediocre draft class. That could help explain why San Francisco didn't hesitate to part with a third-round pick to acquire Odighizuwa.
"Osa Odighizuwa was in the top 10 in the NFL last year in both pass-rush win rate and run-stop win rate among defensive tackles," Orr wrote. "This is a marked improvement over what San Francisco was depending on with its interior rotation a year ago. Inside the locker room, I've heard Odighizuwa is one of the great clubhouse presences in the NFL, and on the field, he is a machine at generating pressures.
"While Dallas may not have liked his undersized nature, Odighizuwa has a next-level get-off, which he uses to get deep in the backfield and make up for a lack of heft. In an ears-back, all-gas defense like San Francisco's, he'll fit right at home."
Mentioned in this article: Mike Evans, Dre Greenlaw, Christian Kirk, Christian McCaffrey, Osa Odighizuwa
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