A former 49ers safety is looking at Kyle Shanahan’s offense and seeing a unit that could be impossible to solve.
Donte Whitner didn’t hold back when he laid out the pieces San Francisco can throw at defenses. He pointed to an All-Pro threat on the outside, George Kittle working the middle, Christian McCaffrey forcing defenses to account for the run and the pass, and Ricky Pearsall’s separation ability creating another problem for opponents.
“You have an All-Pro to the left (Evans) that demands double coverage,” Whitner said. “You have [TE] George Kittle-demands double coverage over the middle.
You have to play the run with [RB] Christian McCaffrey, and he can catch the ball out of the backfield. He demands a linebacker, safety, or a corner on him.
“Then, you have [WR] Ricky Pearsall, who was the number three separator in the NFL last year. Who do you double?
You can’t double everybody….and that’s what Kyle Shanahan does better than any other coach,” Whitner continued. “He figures out who the matchup problem is, and then he’s going to figure out who your weakness is on defense, and he’s going to attack you.
So, I think this will be the number one offense in the NFL this year.”
That kind of confidence also shows up in the discussion around Jacob Cowing, a player whose speed could change how the 49ers attack defenses if he stays healthy.
Last offseason, Shanahan said Cowing “put in some of the most work that anyone did over the offseason.” This spring, Kyle said, “I was really excited how Jordan and Jake came back.
You could tell they came back; it wasn’t just healthy. You could tell they’ve been putting work in.
They’ve come here, to me, to play and work.”
Cowing’s speed is obvious. If the 49ers lined up every player in the end zone and sent them racing to midfield, he’d be the one most people would pick to win.
That burst showed up during OTAs, when he got behind the secondary multiple times. Cowing also said he has dealt with his injury issue and that it’s behind him, but he still has to prove he can get through a training camp before the 49ers can count on him.
His presence could matter beyond just the deep ball. Purdy’s intermediate attempts dipped to 21% last season, and the point made here is that’s more a reflection of the receiver group than the quarterback. The offense wasn’t built to live between 12 and 18 yards when the wideouts were Kendrick Bourne and Jauan Jennings.
The “swirl” routes were crossed out of the playbook because there were no vertical threats without Pearsall. Last year, cornerbacks were able to sit on those routes without worrying about what was coming over the top.
Cowing changes that. He can force defenses to respect the vertical game, but he also gives San Francisco another weapon on deep crossing routes, where his speed can separate him from cornerbacks.
That was on display in OTAs, with Cowing often a couple of steps in front of the defensive back about 15 yards downfield. Even if he’s only drawing attention as a decoy, that can open the rest of the offense.
And if defenses ignore him, Purdy can make them pay.
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49ers May Already Have Their Reason For Passing On Maxx Crosby
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That matters because the 49ers appear to be building their front seven with patience, not urgency, and Collins is part of a broader group the team wants to grow into bigger roles. Along with Mykel Williams and C.J. West, he fits a long-view plan that points toward 2026 and away from another blockbuster swing, especially for a team that has learned plenty from past trade decisions and seems content to let its own young defenders answer the biggest questions first. [Read more 🡒]