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PFF thinks it’s Jimmie Ward
When you have a turnaround like the San Francisco 49ers did and made the Super Bowl, you’re going to get some surprise performances on your roster. That was the case for the Niners in 2019. Everyone knew Nick Bosa was a star, and he didn’t disappoint. Deebo Samuel exceeded his already high expectations, while Dre Greenlaw blew his out of the water. Those are the rookies on the team. The number of players that stepped up in place of the 15+ Niners that went on injured reserve kept the team competitive.
Between everyone, who was the most improved player on the 49ers this past season? PFF believes it’s Jimmie Ward:
It’s hard to separate Ward’s career to this point from the injuries that have helped to define it. Prior to 2019, the last full season that Ward played was 2015. In addition to injuries slowing his progress, position changes have kept Ward from getting comfortable at any one spot on the San Francisco defense. He seemed to find his home last season, though, and he had a full year to show what he could do when healthy. Ward’s 84.9 overall grade ranked sixth among safeties, and he was also one of the 10 most valuable safeties in the league, per PFF WAR. As the team’s primary free safety, he played a big part in San Francisco’s league-leading deep coverage unit that allowed just 10 completions on passes
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