Young Players the 49ers Can Build Around in 2015

The San Francisco 49ers' season is effectively over. Following a 17-7 loss to the Seattle Seahawks last Sunday, the Niners are playing for nothing but pride and the prospect of securing a winning record for the fourth straight season.

Injuries have completely ravaged the 49ers in 2014 and with their postseason hopes now dashed, San Francisco fans will understandably feel like they have little reason for optimism, particularly with rumours swirling about the future of head coach Jim Harbaugh.

Yet, amid all the disappointment, there have been plenty of positive performances from some of the younger players on the San Francisco roster.

The Niners' 2014 rookie class is already proving to be a productive one, which is good news for a team that has a number of key players poised to enter free agency in the offseason. Departures are inevitable, yet the 49ers possess a core of youngsters that look primed to become pieces the team can build around going forward.

Here I identify those players still in the first three years of their career that are best placed to enjoy big roles as the 49ers bid to bounce back in the 2015 campaign.

Tank Carradine

Tony Avelar/Associated Press

After sitting out his rookie year with the 49ers as he recovered from the ACL injury he suffered in his final year with Florida State, defensive end Cornellius "Tank" Carradine is beginning to show flashes of the talent that convinced San Francisco to select him in the second round in 2013.

Carradine did not see his first snaps of the season until Week 10, an absence that—according to Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee—came as a result of his failure to get to grips with the playbook.

However, Carradine is now seeing regular extensive action on the defensive line and has played at least 20 percent of snaps in the last three weeks, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). And in each of the disappointing losses to the Seahawks, the second-year player has been something of a bright spot for the Niners.

In Week 13 Carradine had five total tackles and a quarterback hurry, per PFF, before catching the eye in a more evident way last Sunday by sacking Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson twice and, per David Fucillo of SB Nation, earning the praise of defensive coordinator Vic Fangio as a result.

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To me, you throw out last year. Last year was a total nonexistent year for Tank when it comes to learning and getting better playing football. It was a zero year for him. So, this was his rookie year. And he was struggling early, but he slowly was getting better and better. Then he hit another plateau. Struggled a little at that plateau, and now he's taken off from that plateau. So, it's a nice progress he's got going and I think the arrow's up is the best way to say it. I keep saying that.

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Carradine's progress comes at a good time for a defensive front that could well be without Justin Smith next season and will no longer benefit from the presence of Ray McDonald following his release from the roster on the back of his latest alleged off-the-field indiscretions.

A lack of experience was the main concern surrounding Carradine coming out of college. Now he looks to be gradually adapting to life in the pros and displaying the high motor that was so impressive during his days with the Seminoles.

With McDonald already gone and the end of Smith's career perhaps on the horizon, Carradine figures to become an integral part of this talented 49er defense in 2015.

Carlos Hyde

John Froschauer/Associated Press

Much was expected of rookie running back Carlos Hyde when the 49ers picked him in the second round out of Ohio State.

The presence of the 49ers' all-time leading rusher Frank Gore and San Francisco's apparent desire to focus on transforming the offense into one more focused on the passing game have limited the former Buckeye's touches. However, Hyde delivered a fine demonstration of his qualities in Week 15.

Before being forced out of the game due to an ankle injury, Hyde put up the best performance of his fledgling NFL career as he recorded 55 yards on just six carries.

Averaging 9.2 yards per carry, 38 of Hyde's yards—per PFF—came after contact, with the 23-year-old displaying the kind of strength and burst that suggest he could become one of the better power backs in the NFL.

Viewed by many as the best back in the 2014 draft class, Hyde will unfortunately have to wait for his opportunity to prove himself as the 49ers confirmed he will miss Saturday's game with the San Diego Chargers due to the ankle problem he sustained in Seattle.

It remains to be seen whether Hyde will be able to go gain in 2014, however. Depending on what the Niners choose to do with Gore, he could soon be the feature back in San Francisco.

All the signs are that Hyde should be able to build on a season that has so far seen him record 333 yards on the ground with four touchdowns. With the ageing and soon to be out-of-contract Gore's career seemingly winding down, the future of an offense that has significantly struggled this season is likely be in the hands of a player regarded as his natural successor.

Dontae Johnson

Bill Kostroun/Associated Press

One area of the 49ers' roster that has been particularly ravaged by injuries is the secondary.

With starting cornerbacks Tramaine Brock and Chris Culliver both spending varying amounts of time on the sidelines and first-round pick Jimmie Ward—chosen to be the Niners' slot defender—placed on injured reserve following the Week 10 loss to the New Orleans Saints, fourth-round selection Dontae Johnson has been pressed into service.

The former NC State player has operated in a variety of roles, playing as the nickel corner in Ward's absence before taking on the starting role alongside Perrish Cox in the defeats to the Oakland Raiders and the Seahawks due to the lack of depth created by the slew of injuries at the position.

Johnson, per PFF, has featured on 48 percent of defensive snaps in 2014. Few would have expected him to be so heavily involved in his rookie year, however, the good news for the 49ers is that Johnson has largely excelled in his maiden campaign in pro football.

Indeed, Johnson is rated as the No. 28 corner in the NFL by PFF and allowed just two catches for 16 yards in his first full game as a starter last Sunday, displaying an impressive maturity and ability to perform in a high-pressure game.

The 23-year-old also returned an interception for a touchdown in the Week 6 victory over the St. Louis Rams and will be eager to maintain his strong level of performance in the last two games of the season, particularly with Culliver and Cox both scheduled to be free agents in 2015.

Before the 2014 season the 49ers secondary was considered to be one of the weakest areas of the team yet, despite a plethora of injuries, San Francisco's pass defense is ranked at No. 3 in the NFL.

Johnson has played a considerable part in the relative success of the secondary in 2014 and possesses the sizeable frame many teams are now looking for at the cornerback spot. Expect him to push to hold down a starting job with the Niners in 2015.

Marcus Martin

Tony Avelar/Associated Press

Center Marcus Martin has experienced a rough rookie year in the NFL but could well have a big opportunity to bounce back in 2015.

Martin took over the starting job at the head of the offensive line in Week 9 after Daniel Kilgore was placed on injured reserve following a left leg injury sustained in the Week 7 defeat to the Denver Broncos.

Since then the third-round pick out of USC has found it difficult to adapt to life in the pros and is ranked at No. 32 among all centers by PFF. Martin has been unable to live up to the fine play of Kilgore, whose transition from backup to starter had been seamless prior to his injury.

Problems with snap exchanges and pass protection have marred Martin's attempts to make a strong early impression yet, for all his struggles, there could well be an opportunity for the former Trojan to redeem himself next season and replace one of the key players on the Niners' O-line.

A versatile player, Martin played at both center and guard at USC, and that ability to operate at both positions could see him become a valuable commodity for a team that may be bidding farewell to left guard Mike Iupati in the offseason. 

Iupati, rated as the No. 2 run-blocking guard in the NFL by PFF, is poised to enter free agency this offseason and should command plenty of interest on the open market.

The ideal scenario for the 49ers is that the ex-Idaho Vandal agrees to a new contract. However, it will be no shock if a team that figures to be $10 million over the salary cap in 2015, per Over The Cap, decides to let Iupati move to pastures new.

Should that be the case then Martin, with his strength and ability to get to the second level, may be called upon to slide across to guard and fill the void for a team that has previously relied heavily on athletic linemen in recent years.

Chris Borland and Aaron Lynch

Bill Kostroun/Associated Press

Just like the secondary, the front seven of the 49er defense has continued to perform to an exceptionally high standard even without a number of key players.

Outside linebacker Aldon Smith missed nine games due to suspension and on the inside the Niners have had to cope without All-Pros Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman.

Bowman's quest to return from a torn ACL and MCL this season was ultimately unsuccessful, while Willis was limited to playing in just six games due to a toe injury. Those absences have forced the Niners to use rookies Chris Borland and Aaron Lynch, and thankfully both have outperformed their expectations coming out of college.

Prior to picking up an ankle injury last Sunday, Borland has been a tackling machine for the 49ers, leading the team with 107 and also recording two interceptions and a fumble recovery. Lynch's contribution has been less spectacular, but the former South Florida Bull has represented outstanding value for San Francisco after being selected in the fifth round.

Forming a dangerous tandem with Smith following his return to action, Lynch has put up five sacks and 26 quarterback hurries, according to PFF.

The form of Borland and Lynch should prompt plenty of change in the front seven in 2015, especially with Dan Skuta out of contract and Ahmad Brooks having endured a season that has seen him be more of a disruption to the team than a beneficial factor.

San Francisco has plenty of players set for free agency in the coming offseason and may feel it necessary to hand an extension to Smith, whose rookie contract runs out in 2016. Salary cap savings and a need to get Borland on the field alongside a healthy Willis and Bowman could therefore see both Skuta and Brooks walk.

Borland has proven himself to be too valuable to sit on the sidelines and it is reasonable to anticipate that the 49ers will move one of Bowman or Willis to the outside in order to accommodate him.

Smith has the other outside spot nailed down. However, providing he makes strides in pass coverage and run defense, there is little to stop the explosive Lynch from becoming an increasingly big factor in rotation.

All statistics courtesy of NFL.com unless otherwise stated.

Nicholas McGee is a San Francisco 49ers Featured Columnist based in Leeds, England. Follow him on Twitter @nicholasmcgee24.