Super Bowl 54: Ranking the 20 best players playing in 49ers vs. Chiefs

10. Jimmy Garoppolo, QB, 49ers

Jimmy Garoppolo won two Super Bowls with the New England Patriots, but he never threw a pass during either playoff run. For all purposes, this is his real first playoff run, and he looks impressive. Fans write off Garoppolo’s success because of San Francisco’s dominant defense, but the quarterback can help propel his team to a championship.

Let’s examine Week 14 of the regular season. San Francisco traveled to New Orleans to face the Saints. The game turned into a shootout, much like the Super Bowl may become, but Garoppolo got the ball back with less than a minute left and drove his team down the field for the winning field goal. The 49ers won 48-46.

Against the Saints, Garoppolo completed 74.39 percent of his pass attempts for 349 yards, four touchdowns, and an interception. Week 14 stands as Garoppolo’s high-water mark. He could produce a similar performance against the Chiefs.

Unfortunately, Garoppolo is still very inconsistent. For instance, he hurt San Francisco just as much as he helped during the Wild Card matchup against the Vikings. The big question for Garoppolo is, which version of him will show up when San Francisco needs him the most?

9. DeForest Buckner, DT, 49ers

In 2018, Buckner established himself as one of the NFL’s premier defensive tackles. His 12 sacks, 67 tackles, and 20 quarterback hits warranted the first Pro Bowl bid of his career. While his numbers are down thanks to added help in the pass rush, Buckner is still a dominant interior force.

Several additions along the defensive line, along with Armstead’s emergence, hampered Buckner’s production this season. He finished the year with 7.5 sacks, 14 quarterback hits and 61 tackles. However, the Associated Press still recognized Buckner’s impact and awarded him with Second-Team All-Pro honors.

With Armstead, Bosa, and Ford applying pressure from the edge, Buckner only has one sack this postseason. However, he’s filling the role San Francisco needs him in. With Buckner commanding the interior of the defensive line, opposing rushing attacks have nowhere to go.