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The San Francisco 49ers have built one of the league's most experienced rosters, for better or worse.
San Francisco has the NFL's second-oldest roster and, unfortunately, doesn't have much young talent from recent drafts. That approach shows up in ESPN's latest ranking of NFL teams' under-25 talent, where the 49ers checked in at No. 27. The rankings weigh starts and snaps from players under 25, age-adjusted quality of play with extra credit for Pro Bowl and All-Pro nods, contract value and length, positional importance, recent draft capital, projected 2026 depth charts and injury availability.
While drafting is an issue as well, the biggest reason for the 49ers' ranking is injuries, according to ESPN's Aaron Schatz.
Injuries led to playing time for a lot of the youth in San Francisco last season, as six different players currently under 25 started at least six games.
Edge rusher Mykel Williams, the 49ers' only blue chip on the list, turned 22 in June after a rookie season as a first-round pick. He missed most of the year with an ACL injury, though. Beyond him, the under-25 contributors are largely late-round or middle-round finds forced into duty by attrition: safeties Malik Mustapha and Marques Sigle, nickelback Upton Stout and defensive tackle Alfred Collins are all 24, while left guard hopefuls Connor Colby (23) and Carver Willis (24) will compete in camp.
Not everyone in the pipeline counted toward the under-25 ranking. This year's third-round pick, edge rusher Romello Height, already turned 25, while cornerback Renardo Green and receiver Ricky Pearsall graduated out of eligibility after emerging as core contributors.
This fits a broader pattern for the 49ers. Eight of the 49ers' 14 players 30 or older play offense, including 37-year-old tackle Trent Williams and 35-year-old fullback Kyle Juszczyk. That's the product of a front office that has repeatedly gone outside the building for its most important pieces, including trading for running back Christian McCaffrey and Williams before adding veteran receiver Mike Evans in free agency this offseason. The defense skews younger by comparison, ranking as the league's 11th-youngest unit.
The result is a roster that looks deeper on defense than last year's ranking suggested, but one still built largely around an aging, veteran-heavy offense rather than a steady pipeline of young talent, according to ESPN.
The draft issues will eventually need to be corrected for the 49ers to maintain their relevance. For now, they'll rely on their aging stars.
This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: New ESPN ranking underscores 49ers' 2 biggest roster problems
