San Francisco 49ers: 3 Early breakout candidates for 2019 season

Coming off a disappointing and injury-plagued 2018 season for the San Francisco 49ers, these breakout players could jumpstart a big turnaround.

Many fans and analysts alike had the San Francisco 49ers down as a breakout team for the 2018 season. With the first full season of quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo in the Bay Area, in addition to a number of other big moves to improve, San Francisco seemed primed to really make noise and start to turn things around under head coach Kyle Shanahan.

Things, however, did not play out that way. Garoppolo suffered a season-ending torn ACL in Week 3 of the season, running back Jerick McKinnon also tore his ACL, the defense struggled and the high hopes that abounded for the 49ers quickly twirled down the drain. In the end, the team finished 2018 with the second-worst record in the NFL.

Though it was a tough year to endure in 2018, things are now looking even brighter for the 2019 season in San Francisco. Not only will Garoppolo be returning to health off of that injury but general manager John Lynch has also made great strides to improve the roster. No. 2 overall pick Nick Bosa, trade acquisition Dee Ford and free agent signing Kwon Alexander should all bolster the defense in a big way.

Given those additions and the key players that will be returning to health, the expectations for the 49ers may be a bit more tempered given last year’s disappointment but should still be quite high for the 2019 season. And while we know the key guys that should contribute in a big way, the Niners will need players to come out and step up in a big way to reach their potential.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at three players for the San Francisco 49ers that could have breakout years in the 2019 season.