Who Will Be the San Francisco 49ers' Most Improved Player in 2015?

The San Francisco 49ers will need some players to step up and improve after losing a number of key pieces in free agency.

General manager Trent Baalke has done a pretty good job in stocking this roster with young talent, and it is now time for the players the Niners have drafted in recent years to make those expected strides as San Francisco looks to rebound from a tumultuous 8-8 campaign despite the roster upheaval experienced in the offseason.

In order to make improvements, players obviously need to be given a greater opportunity in terms of playing time to do so. And the three players likely to have the biggest chance to prove themselves are Carlos Hyde, Cornellius Carradine and Dontae Johnson.

Hyde will be the 49ers' starting running back in 2015, Carradine is a strong bet to be one of the first-string defensive ends regardless of whether Justin Smith returns for a 15th season in the NFL, and Johnson—depending on San Francisco's draft plans at the cornerback position—is likely to receive a larger role on the back end of the Niners defense.

Still, it is Carradine who figures to be the most improved player on the roster in the coming season, but before diving into why that is the case, let's look at the prospects of Hyde and Johnson for the 2015 season.

Ben Margot/Associated Press

Taken in the second round by the 49ers, Hyde was regarded by many as the best running back in the 2014 draft class. His opportunities to prove that were limited by the presence of the now-departed Frank Gore and San Francisco's apparent desire to focus on the passing game. However, he was still able to put up decent numbers, finishing the year with 333 yards and four touchdowns at an average of four yards per carry.

With increased playing time coming his way, there will be a spike in yardage totals from Hyde, but whether that will constitute an improvement from Hyde in terms of his actual performance is a different issue. You know what you are going to get with Hyde: He is a physical downhill runner with the power to run over defenders. The only thing that is going to change is the window he will have to damage opposing defenses.

It is tough to see Hyde not enjoying a successful season with his dominant style of play and the offensive line's previous proficiency in run-blocking, but although he could well make strides in areas such as his vision and patience, do not expect any changes he makes to his game to be eye-catching.

One area where Hyde could be exposed is in pass protection—he allowed a sack and five quarterback hurries in 2015, according to Pro Football Focus—but it is Johnson who is at greater risk of being picked on by opposing teams should he be given more of a chance to perform.

	Snaps	Grade
Chris Culliver	839	8.2
Chris Cook	48	2.0
Leon McFadden	85	1.3
Perrish Cox	965	-0.6
Marcus Cromartie	25	-1.4
Jimmie Ward	270	-3.1
Dontae Johnson	492	-3.2
Tramaine Brock	84	-3.8

Johnson received a coverage grade of minus-3.2 in his rookie season in the league from PFF, although that was greatly affected by his display in the Week 17 win over the Arizona Cardinals, which saw him given a mark of minus-3.0 for his pass coverage after allowing two touchdowns.

The former NC State corner gave up five touchdowns in 2014 but the Niners appear to love his size and length, with Baalke indicating at the NFL's owners meetings that Johnson could even be used in the slot to cover Seattle Seahawks tight end Jimmy Graham. Despite his obvious physical attributes and strong instincts, Johnson remains susceptible to the big play, and it is something of a stretch to suggest that a second-year rookie operating at one of the most difficult positions in football will be the most improved member of the Niners' roster.

Defensive backs coach Tim Lewis will be the man tasked with getting the most out of the 49ers' young secondary. Meanwhile, Scott Brown may have the slightly easier task of making sure the defensive line performs at the same level it has done in recent years.

Whether the D-line is successful could well hinge on the play of Carradine. The release of Ray McDonald left a free space at one of the end spots, which remains in spite of the acquisition of Darnell Dockett, who seems to fit in best as a situational pass-rusher.

Even if Dockett is selected as a starter and Smith comes back for one more year, Carradine will be a key part of the rotation up front and will be given ample opportunity to fill in for that pair of veterans. And the good news for San Francisco is that Carradine heads into the new season having played well in the back end of 2014.

Carradine had 13 defensive stops, per PFF, in the final eight games of the season and also recorded three sacks. His two-sack performance in Week 15 against the Seattle Seahawks led former defensive coordinator Vic Fangio to suggest that the arrow is pointing up for Carradine, according to David Fucillo of Niners Nation.

And, per Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee, new head coach Jim Tomsula, the man who knows Carradine's talents best, would appear to agree.

"

Tank obviously coming out of Florida State was a position change. He had the knee injury. And that was a tough year and a half for him. And just watching him battle through that and seeing where he's at right now—Tank's in the building every single day and working like crazy. He's gotten that stuff behind him and he's moving forward in the weight room and he's really doing all of the heavy squatting and things right now—so he tells me.

"

It is extremely positive to hear that Carradine has been working hard in the offseason, but where exactly does he need to improve his game? The PFF numbers indicate that run defense is an area Carradine needs to work on after grading negatively in that department in five of the eight games he played in. 

With Carradine adjusting from playing a 4-3 at Florida State to a 3-4 with the Niners and, per Barrows, having previously spoken of his difficulties in learning the playbook, his issues in stopping the run are not too surprising for a player who was known more for his skills as a pass-rusher coming out of college.

Carrdine, though, was given a negative grade of minus-0.2 for his performance in rushing the quarterback, with his apparent inability to generate consistent pressure—PFF had him totaling just four quarterback hurries and zero hits—counting against him despite those three sacks.

It will be up to Brown to harness the talent Carradine obviously has. The former Seminole still possesses the explosion and power to be a nightmare for opposing offensive linemen and convinced the Niners to take him in the second round in 2013 despite an ACL injury that forced him to redshirt his rookie year.

The 2015 season effectively serves as Carradine's second year in the league. He now has the experience of playing in the regular season. And with a former defensive line coach in Tomsula—whose old job has been taken by a guy in Brown with 31 years of experience coaching—serving as head coach, a defensive coordinator in Eric Mangini who is regarded as one of the better defensive minds in the league and players like Dockett and potentially Smith to learn from, Carradine is in the perfect environment to enjoy a breakout year in 2015.

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