There are a number of elements which helped transform a 4-12 San Francisco 49ers team in 2018 to the 13-3 squad that ended up pulling off the No. 1 overall seed in the conference and the team’s first NFC West crown since 2012.
Getting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo back healthy from his 2018 ACL tear was instrumental, of course. A fully healthy cornerback, Richard Sherman, helped a lot, too, as did the continued ascent of younger players like tight end George Kittle and right tackle Mike McGlinchey. Key trades, such as the offseason move for EDGE Dee Ford and the mid-year pickup of wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders, also worked wonders.