Why the 49ers Have to Get Younger

The 49ers are an incredibly top-heavy team full of aging stars who are on the downside of their careers.

These 49ers are getting old in a hurry.

Arik Armstead has had plantar fasciitis for two years and it's not going away.

George Kittle had a mere two catches for four yards in the Super Bowl.

Trent Williams had two penalties and got pushed around by cornerbacks in the Super Bowl.

Deebo Samuel is a shell of the player he was just two years ago.

Kyle Juszczyk isn't half the blocker he used to be.

And you never know when Christian McCaffrey will hit the wall. Running backs hit it quickly and unexpectedly.

The 49ers are an incredibly top-heavy team full of aging stars who are on the downside of their careers. If they're not careful, they'll fall apart next season just like the Eagles fell apart this past season.

The 49ers have to get younger, and this is the perfect offseason to do so. For the first time since they traded for Trey Lance, they'll have a first-round pick. They'll also have a second-round pick for a change. This is huge. The 49ers finally have the capital to restock their roster with premium talent for the first time in three years.

But once the 49ers draft these players, Kyle Shanahan actually has to play them, something he prefers not to do with rookies.

The other contenders in the NFC -- the Lions, the Packers and the Rams -- all played their young players last season and entered the playoffs red hot. Now they have young players with playoff experience, and each of those teams are poised to take a big step forward this year.

The 49ers can do the same thing this year if they commit to getting younger. It's the smart thing to do.