2022 San Francisco 49ers Betting Preview: Picks And Predictions

The San Francisco 49ers won 13 regular season contests in 2019 en route to a Super Bowl appearance, but followed that performance with only six victories in 2020. Last year, the 49ers appeared on their way to another lackluster campaign, but won seven of nine games to finish the regular season with 10 wins and a postseason berth.

Once in the playoffs, San Francisco proved that their hot stretch was no fluke – defeating the Dallas Cowboys in Arlington, and taking down the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau before blowing a 10 point fourth quarter lead in a loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship Game.

In 2022, the 49ers will have a new starting quarterback, but the rest of the roster remains replete with talent. Let’s take a look at this roster unit-by-unit to see if Trey Lance is capable of taking this group to the postseason in his first year as a starter.

• Editor’s Note: Make sure to use our BetMGM promo code to begin betting 2022 NFL props now!

Quarterback

Depth Chart: Trey Lance, Jimmy Garoppolo, Nate Sudfeld

The 3rd overall draft pick from the 2021 class will be entrusted with the keys to an offense on a team with Super Bowl aspirations this fall. Trey Lance was limited to only 71 pass attempts as a rookie, but he impressed with a 5-to-2 touchdown-to-interception ratio in a limited workload. Unquestionably, Lance was the most physically gifted quarterback who entered the draft in 2021, which is part of th reason that general manager John Lynch gave up as much as he did to move up to select him out of North Dakota State University. Lance pairs elite arm strength with elite top-end speed when he decides to escape from the pocket. Even if Lance struggles with his accuracy through the air, his floor is extremely high due to his ability to extend plays in the red zone and in short-yardage situations. It may seem unconventional to move away from Jimmy Garoppolo, a quarterback who was one play away from a Super Bowl appearance in 2021. However, the upside with Lance, a good decision-maker with elite physical tools, offers too much upside to keep on the sidelines again this fall. At minimum, Lance should be able to match Garoppolo’s output from last year. If everything clicks, the 49ers could become an unstoppable offensive force in 2022 and beyond.

Running Back

Depth Chart: Elijah Mitchell, Jeff Wilson Jr., Tyrion Davis-Price

Elijah Mitchell struggled to stay on the field as a rookie, playing in only 11 games. However, there were few running backs in the NFL last year who were more productive when they were healthy. Mitchell narrowly missed having 1,000 rushing yards on only 207 attempts, adding five rushing touchdowns and another 137 receiving yards out of the backfield. When Mitchell was not on the field, his absence was felt by the 49ers offense. Deebo Samuel had 365 rushing yards in a unique role as a wide receiver/running back hybrid, but Jeff Wilson averaged only 3.7 yards-per-carry as the player with the second-most rushing attempts on the team. If Mitchell can manage to stay healthy in 2022, he could be a legitimate threat to lead the league in rushing. 

Wide Receivers

Depth Chart: Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, Jauan Jennings, George Kittle

Deebo Samuel had one of the more unique seasons in recent memory during the 2021 campaign, rushing for 365 yards while simultaneously leading the 49ers in receptions, targets, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns. In his first two NFL campaigns, he totaled 90 catches and 1,193 receiving yards, but experienced a true breakout last fall, with 77 receptions and 1,405 receiving yards – 780 of which came after the catch. He is a unique weapon that can line up in the backfield, the slot, or out wide. Expect his versatility to benefit San Francisco again in 2022.

Brandon Aiyuk was largely overlooked by the national media last year, but that was not his fault. Aiyuk followed-up an impressive rookie season with another 826 receiving yards and five touchdown catches, finishing 28th out of 115 players at his position in receiving grade, per Pro Football Focus. Lance being under center could open up the playbook tremendously for Aiyuk, who was drafted in the first round in 2020 after playing at Arizona State in college.

George Kittle has been, arguably, the best receiving tight end in football since 2018. His production down-the-field has been limited by Garoppolo, who struggled mightily to throw the ball past the first down marker, but Kittle has still managed to compile multiple 1,000 receiving yard seasons in the last four years. Kittle’s health has become somewhat of a concern after missing nine games across the last two years, but he remains a premium option at his position, and could have his best year since 2019 if Lance is as good as advertised. 

Offensive Line

Depth Chart: Trent Williams, Aaron Banks, Jake Brendel, Daniel Brunskill, Mike McGlinchey

Trent Williams has graded as Pro Football Focus’ best tackle in back-to-back seasons, and four times during his illustrious NFL career. He is outstanding as both a run-blocker and a pass-blocker. Expect another excellent season from him in 2022. Unfortunately for San Francisco fans, the rest of this offensive line could be an issue. Alex Mack retired, leaving Jake Brendel as the starting center one year after playing only six snaps. Aaron Banks was selected out of Notre Dame in the second round of last year’s draft, but played only five snaps in 2021. He has high upside, but also a high floor as an unproven young offensive lineman. Spencer Burford is a rookie fourth round pick out of UTSA, who will need to develop in a hurry for this offense to flourish. Mike McGlinchey is the only other proven starter in this group, having been one of the better pass blockers in the league since being drafted in the first round in 2018. Still, he has been an inconsistent run-blocker, raising even more questions about what to expect from this unit this fall.

Base 4-3 Defense

Defensive Line

Depth Chart: Dee Ford, Javon Kinlaw, Arik Armstead, Nick Bosa

From Week 10 to the end of the season in 2021, the 49ers allowed only 3.6 yards-per-carry, which helped them earn a 7th-place finish in this metric for the entire season, despite a rough first two months. This group is led by Nick Bosa, who collected 15.5 sacks and 21 tackles-for-loss last year. Arik Armstead, Samson Ebukam, Drake Jackson, Charles Emoenihu, Kerry Hyder, and Kemoko Turay combine to give this group plenty of high-potential depth, giving this defensive line a very strong floor for 2022.

Linebackers

Depth Chart: Dre Greenlaw, Fred Warner, Azeez Al-Shaair

Despite the elite talent on the defensive line, the true strength of the 49ers defense is their linebacker corps. Fred Warner’s elite run-stopping ability pairs well with Dre Greenlaw’s well-rounded defensive skill set to form one of the best, if not the best linebacker tandem in professional football. Azeez Al-Shaair has never been capable in coverage, but has improved tremendously as a run defender each of the last two years. Assuming good health, teams are going to find very little room on the ground against the 49ers in 2022.

Secondary

Depth Chart: Charvarius Ward, George Odum, Talanoa Hufanga, Emmanuel Moseley

If there is a weakness on the defensive side of the ball in San Francisco, it is in the secondary. Emmanuel Moseley and Charvarius Ward form one of the better cornerback duos in the NFL, but George Odum and Talanoa Hufanga leave a lot to be desired over the top. Odum is an undrafted fifth-year player out of Central Arkansas, who has never posted a coverage grade better than league average since entering the league, per Pro Football Focus. Hufanga was selected in the fifth-round of the 2021 draft, and was extremely underwhelming in his rookie season. This unit still projects to be better than league average, but poor play from the safety position could keep this group from being truly elite.

2022 Outlook

In 2021, San Francisco managed to win 10 games, despite beginning the year 2-4, and having Jimmy Garoppolo at quarterback. In 2022, the 49ers have the same floor at quarterback, with Trey Lance under center. The main difference is that the ceiling is significantly higher, and the playbook should be far more expansive with the former 3rd overall draft pick at the helm of this offense. The interior of the offensive line is a concern, but the mobility of Lance should help offset these concerns to some degree. The 49ers defensive line and linebackers have the ability to completely neutralize opposing rushing attacks in 2022, which could force teams into obvious passing situations, which could help mitigate the issues at safety on the defensive side of the ball. Assuming relatively good health for key players, it would be surprising to see San Francisco fail to win double-digit games this fall – take the over.

Pick: 49ers Over 10 Wins