Jimmy Garoppolo, DeForest Buckner, Reuben Foster. Those three are givens.
The 49ers won’t make the playoffs if one of those players underperforms or gets injured. All three are essential to the upcoming season.
But, so are other, less obvious players on the 49ers. Players who aren’t necessarily the best on the team, but ones who must step up and play well for the 49ers to make the playoffs next season.
These are the five unheralded, most important players on the 49ers:
1. DE Solomon Thomas
We’ve got to start with the defense — it was dreadful last season.