The 49ers’ star power is apparent. They enter Sunday’s Super Bowl against the Chiefs boasting perhaps the best roster in the NFL.
While the top-to-bottom talent for San Francisco is strong, there are a handful of players who jump out as particularly essential for them against a red-hot Kansas City squad. These are the 49ers’ six most important players for securing a win and a sixth Lombardi Trophy:
6
OL Jon Feliciano
Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones destroyed the 49ers in Super Bowl LIV. He’s playing as well as ever this year and he’s certainly capable of ruining San Francisco’s offense again Sunday. Feliciano will see plenty of matchups vs. Jones. Moving him in the run game and keeping him from collapsing the pocket are going to be massive to the 49ers’ offensive success.
5
DE Nick Bosa
Bosa is a true game-wrecker on defense. He posted a couple sacks in the NFC championship game, and now the 49ers need another productive outing. Moving Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes off his spot and speeding him up matters a lot, but it’s the run game where Bosa will matter most. He needs to be sound in setting the edge and getting down the line quickly for tackles in the backfield. Bosa is also paramount to slowing the Chiefs’ dynamic screen game. He has to recognize those and perhaps blow up one or two before they can get rolling downhill.
4
WR Deebo Samuel
Running back Christian McCaffrey will get plenty of attention (more on him later), but Samuel’s presence as a runner is an equally vital piece of the 49ers’ offense. He can move defenders when he goes in motion and be effective anywhere on the field. Aside from his explosive play creation with the ball in his hands, Samuel is also very good on contested throws and offers a high-level security blanket for quarterback Brock Purdy (more on him later) when the ball has to come out quick. A blitz-happy defense should give Samuel plenty of opportunities to create chunk plays off the quick passing game.
3
LB Fred Warner
The Chiefs exist heavily in the short passing game and screen game. Their lack of downfield playmakers have caused Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes to simply reel in their diabolical offense. The result is a lot of short throws and route concepts that create yards after the catch. Warner will play in a ton of traffic with plenty of opportunities to drop ball carriers immediately after a catch. He’ll also need to be sharp against the Chiefs’ screen game and in run stopping. A good game from Warner shuts down a lot of what makes Kansas City’s offense successful this season.
2
QB Brock Purdy
Typically the QB would be in the No. 1 spot, but the 49ers are a little different than most teams. While Purdy may not carry the playmaking burden a player like Patrick Mahomes does, he’s still vital to San Francisco’s offense. He creates enough out of structure, and airs it out with enough frequency and success to keep defenses off balance. A turnover-free, accurate game from Purdy will likely result in a 49ers win.
1
RB Christian McCaffrey
It sort of goes without saying by now. The 49ers offense goes as McCaffrey goes. As good as Purdy was this year, the bread and butter for San Francisco is its ground attack. McCaffrey’s ability to exploit a not-great Chiefs run defense will decide whether the 49ers can score enough to win against Kansas City.
