Five bold 49ers predictions before the 2020 NFL season

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The 49ers are not sneaking up on anyone this season.

Most had the 49ers pegged a year ago as an improved team from the four-win disaster of 2018. But nobody other than the extremely biased could have anticipated the 49ers go 13-3, win the NFC West, gain homefield advantage throughout the playoffs and cruise through the NFC side of the bracket to the Super Bowl.

Based on what we saw in 2019, and with a large number of returners to their roster, there should not be many surprises this season.

But here are five bold predictions for the upcoming season:

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Jeff Garcia’s spot as the 49ers’ single-season passing leader is safe for at least another season. But Jimmy Garoppolo will etch his name into the book as the third 4,000-yard passer in franchise history.

Garoppolo threw for 3,978 yards in his first full season as an NFL starter. The entire list of 49ers quarterbacks who have thrown for more yards is: Garcia (2000) 4,278 yards; Steve Young (1998) 4,170; and Young (1993) 4,023.

Garoppolo will benefit the experience and knowledge gained from being in Kyle Shanahan’s system. He will also have more options with a deeper reservoir of targets at wide receiver, tight end and running back.

When Garoppolo throws for more than 4,000 yards this season -- 4,137, to be exact -- he will have two of the five most prolific seasons in the history of the 49ers.

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Edge rusher Nick Bosa is on the verge of superstardom. So it might come as a surprise that he will not lead the 49ers in sacks this season.

Bosa will get double-digit sacks this season, building on his nine-sack regular season of his rookie year. But Bosa will constantly go up against double-teams and running backs chipping him on their way out of the backfield.

The added attention on Bosa will create more opportunities for Dee Ford on the other side. Although Ford missed a large portion of training camp with a calf injury, he is healthy at the beginning of the season. Ford will match his previous career high in sacks with 13 to lead the team.

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George Kittle will lead the 49ers in receptions and receiving yards. That is not the bold prediction.

Deebo Samuel will have the second-most receiving yards on the team. That is not the bold prediction.
The bold prediction is that slot receiver Trent Taylor will catch the second-most passes on the team. He will also lead the 49ers in third-down receptions.

Taylor and Garoppolo have a good rapport, and that will show up repeatedly this season with his ability to get open quickly to allow Garoppolo an easy option for beating the oncoming pass rush.

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Raheem Mostert finished last season as the hot hand in the 49ers’ backfield. His performance in the NFC Championship Game was one for the ages, as he rushed for 220 yards and four touchdowns against the Green Bay Packers.

But Shanahan has three backs on which to rely this season. Each will get ample opportunities and will have their chances to shine on a week-to-week basis.

Tevin Coleman might end up getting the most carries. Mostert will lead the team in rushing yards. And Jerick McKinnon will double-up all the other backs in receptions as the team’s designated third-down back.

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Free safety Jimmie Ward earned a three-year, $28.5 million extension in the offseason with his play in 2019. This year, he will take his game to another level.

Ward was solid last year. But he wants to be more than just solid. He wants to be a game-changer, and he is fully capable of making that kind of impact as his knowledge within Robert Saleh’s scheme continues to grow.

While Ward deserves credit for a 49ers defense that surrendered fewer big pass plays during the regular season than any team in the league, Ward did not generate any takeaways. That will change, as he will lead the team in interceptions and be chosen to his first career Pro Bowl.

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