Three More 49ers Grace The NFL’s Top 100 List of 2022
Aug 22, 2022, 11:30 AM | Updated: 1:36 pm
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 19: Nick Bosa #97 and Fred Warner #54 of the San Francisco 49ers prepare to enter the field before the game against the Atlanta Falcons at Levi's Stadium on December 19, 2021 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
(Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
Three San Francisco 49ers earned some high honors from the NFL over the past few days.
LB Fred Warner, DE Nick Bosa, and TE George Kittle all made it onto the NFL Top 100 Players list for 2022, with all three players making it inside the top 50. Jimmie Ward and Kyle Juszczyk also made the list, coming in at 96 and 100 respectively.
First Fred Warner, getting his nomination Sunday as the 47th best player in the NFL. The All-Pro dropped from 26th to 47th but that shouldn’t be an indictment on his play in 2021.
“Warner’s 26-spot drop from last year’s Top 100 list doesn’t necessarily indicate it was a down year for the 49ers LB in 2021. Warner signed a record-breaking five-year, $95 million extension with the 49ers ahead of the season, and proved he’s worth the money with 137 total tackles and seven tackles for loss, which is more than he collected in 2020 in both categories. While he may not have gotten the accolades of the previous year, Warner proved he can keep up the production from that season, and with that monster extension he will have the chance to continue as a star on the 49ers defense for the foreseeable future,” the NFL’s statement said.
All Pro Fred@fred_warner x #NFLTop100 pic.twitter.com/D8yutZ58U5
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) August 21, 2022
Next was Bosa, coming in at 25th on the list. The third-year defensive playmaker came off a torn ACL in 2020 to become one of the premier players at the position last season.
Bosa started his career by winning AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2019, but couldnβt follow up that with a strong sophomore campaign because of a torn ACL suffered in Week 2 of the 2020 season. But third timeβs the charm, because in Bosaβs third year, he came back strong and exceeded his production from his first season. Starting all 20 games during San Francisco’s run to the NFC title game, Bosa broke his career-high in sacks with 15.5 (fourth in the league) — adding four more in the playoffs — and tied AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year T.J. Watt for the most tackles for loss in the NFL (21), the NFL said.
Bosa is just built different.
πΊ: #NFLTop100 on @NFLNetwork pic.twitter.com/JGCISFJOyB
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) August 22, 2022
Lastly is the people’s tight end, George Kittle. Jumping from 28th to 22nd may not seem like a big deal, but his impact on the field speaks volumes for the success of the 49ers over the last few seasons.
For five years, Kittle has been a consistent leadership presence in the 49ers’ locker room and continues to put out quality seasons on the field, as well. Kittle was the third-best player at his position in 2021, according to Pro Football Focus, and in addition to his usual dominance as a blocking tight end, Kittle also recorded the fourth-most receiving yards by a tight end in 2021 with 910. That all-around talent and leadership is definitely worth his No. 22 ranking and fourth consecutive appearance on this list, per the NFL.
Protect George Kittle at all costs π
π₯ @nflnetwork || #49ers pic.twitter.com/wqDgIvNXGJ
— ππππππππ£ππ§π¨ (@TheSFNiners) August 22, 2022
With the top 20 to be announced in the coming days, many expect the best left tackle in the game, Trent Williams, to round out the red & gold selections this year on the NFL Top 100 list.
