Every young player on the 49ers should be paying close attention to Williams. It should be, at the very least, to draw inspiration and motivation. Otherwise, ...

I don't have Mustapha as the likeliest 49ers player to step up because he already did that in 2024. He is expected to be that cornerstone player now, so it's not surprising to see him take a leap.

The 49ers have a pair of starting-caliber players in Nick Bosa and Leonard Floyd. But there’s no one reliable behind them, which was painfully obvious when Bosa had to miss time late in the season.

Thomas: “I naturally lean the 49ers in this game had they been fully healthy. Brock Purdy might be a miss and Nick Bosa, George Kittle, and Trent Williams are all banged up and could miss this game.