By Staff
The San Francisco 49ers (49ers) have endured indifferent results in the National Football League’s (NFL) draft over the last four years. With the exception of Brandon Aiyuk in 2020 and Iowa State Cyclones’ Brock Purdy who was Mr. Irrelevant (the final pick of the NFL draft) in 2022, the 49ers have had little to show for their selections in the draft.
Such fruitless endeavors in the draft have ultimately meant that the 49ers were short of the strength in depth they needed to win their first Super Bowl since 1995. Of course, you argue that they made the final in 2020 and 2024 but they’ve lacked the firepower to get them over the line.
The Draft Class of 2024
Before the 2024 draft, the 49ers faced significant pressure to reverse their recent draft struggles, especially given the looming expense of Brock Purdy’s contract extension. In other words, the team needed to use the draft wisely to ensure they could allocate most of their budget towards their star quarterback’s new deal while staying within the salary cap.
With just over two weeks remaining before the new NFL season kicks off, early indications suggest that the 49ers have made amends for their past draft missteps.
In particular, the preseason performance of offensive guard Dominick Puni, formerly of the Central Missouri Mules and Kansas Jayhawks, has turned heads.
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The San Francisco Chronicle even went so far as to label Puni the “blue-chip” draft pick of 2024 – further signaling that the 49ers have made astute choices this year.
Additionally, there have been a string of mature offseason performances from Renardo Green who was a star cornerback during his time at Florida State Seminoles.
The same is true for Malik Mustapha whose college football apprenticeship was spent at the Richmond Spiders and the Wake Forest Demon Deacons where he built a reputation as a hardworking safety.
Finally, Jacob Cowing from the University of Arizona has made pre-season headlines in his wide receiver role. Tellingly, Sports Illustrated recently voted Cowing as the best player on the pitch at Levi’s Stadium against the New Orleans Saints during a 16-10 offseason win.
49ers Promising Odds for Super Bowl LIX
So, with such an impressive showing from the 49ers’ new rookies, will this finally be the San Francisco franchise’s season?
The latest betting lines to win Super Bowl LIX tend to back the notion that the 49ers have learned from their mistakes and now have the required strength in depth.
For instance, online betting Canada sportbook Betano prices the 49ers at just +550 to lift the Vince Lombardi Trophy at the Superdome in New Orleans on February 9th, 2025.
Cracking the Code
For context, only one other team, the Kansas City Chiefs, has better odds than the 49ers. Notably, the Chiefs’ odds have also drifted in recent weeks.
Whether this shift is connected to the rise of the well-rounded 49ers squad is open to interpretation but it’s hard to overlook the promising developments in the City by the Bay.
In the end, only time will tell if the 49ers have cracked the draft code but their work over the last four months suggests that the 30-year wait for American football’s greatest prize might be coming to an end.
