9 San Francisco 49ers Under Most Pressure to Deliver in 2015

Until last year, the San Francisco 49ers had thrived under pressure on their way to three straight NFC Championship Games and one Super Bowl appearance. Following the disappointment of 2014 and the controversial decision to part company with head coach Jim Harbaugh and replace him with Jim Tomsula, this is a franchise that is going to be under the spotlight from Week 1.

San Francisco has seen a number of experienced players retire or go elsewhere in the offseason, making the 49ers a young team with plenty of promising players who need to start delivering in order for Tomsula's men to be successful in 2015.

Additionally, those veterans still on the team will have to take on the leadership responsibilities vacated by the likes of Patrick Willis, Justin Smith and Frank Gore if this Niners team is going to be able to challenge in the NFC West even after the departures of some of their biggest hitters.

In short this is a team under greater pressure to perform than ever before following a huge offseason overhaul. And here I analyse the nine players who will be under the greatest strain to ensure San Francisco is still competitive in the coming season.

Carlos Hyde

Ben Margot/Associated Press

The 49ers have spent years drafting running backs preparing for Frank Gore's departure and found the player best suited to become his successor in the second round of the 2014 draft in Carlos Hyde.

Now Hyde must prove he was worth that investment after Gore left the Niners for the Indianapolis Colts in free agency.

Hyde had a decent rookie season splitting time with Gore in 2014. The former Ohio State Buckeye found success with his powerful downhill running style and finished the year with 333 rushing yards and four touchdowns and looked impressive in the second half of the campaign.

Hyde's challenge will be to now deliver the same kind of production over the course of a season and become more than just a one-dimensional, one-cut runner.

With his ability to run over defenders, Hyde should not have an issue putting up strong numbers as a sophomore. Where he may find difficulty is in the areas of the game in which Gore excels that have often gone unnoticed, pass protection and catching the ball out of the backfield.

Gore remains one of the better pass-protection backs in the league and is a viable option as a pass-catcher. Hyde, by contrast, is inexperienced in the former aspect of the game and caught just 12 balls for 68 yards in his rookie year.

San Francisco does have Reggie Bush to give the Niners an extra option as a pass-catcher and Kendall Hunter and rookie Mike Davis to serve as extra complementary backs. Yet if Hyde is to justify his draft position and fill the void Gore left, it is vital he quickly develops into an all-round back capable of being the bell cow for the 49ers offense.

Vernon Davis

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While much of the 49ers' success on offense will rely on the ground game, what was plain for all to see last year was that they dearly lacked a contribution from the tight end position as Vernon Davis struggled to make his usual impact.

Davis was limited to just 26 catches last season, putting up a mere 245 yards and two touchdowns in 14 games. The former Maryland Terrapin is now 31, and in a contract year, he can ill afford another disappointing campaign for San Francisco, particularly with a queue of promising players at the tight end position keen to take his job.

The Niners have eight tight ends on the roster following the additions of Blake Bell and Rory Anderson via the draft, but none of those players have Davis' all-around skill set. So, while Davis is likely to have competition in 2015, he can feel somewhat safe that he is going to be the starter.

Still, there can be little room for complacency on Davis' part as he seeks to prove he is still an above-average NFL tight end. San Francisco's offense has been most successful with two tight ends performing to a high standard and would be well-served by having another player at the position contribute alongside Davis again in 2015.

Yet the onus going into the new campaign will be largely on Davis, who has been a consistent and productive player for most of his NFL career but after holding out last year and failing to produce, has little room for error knowing any further struggles could see him lose snaps to some younger players with plenty to prove.

Glenn Dorsey

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With Justin Smith now confirmed as having called it a career, the 49ers defensive line, which has also lost Ray McDonald, has to pick up plenty of slack.

Fortunately for the Niners they still have some seasoned veterans in the trenches, one of which is former Kansas City Chief Glenn Dorsey, who comes into the 2015 season having missed all of last year due to a biceps injury but has plenty of incentive to return to his best form.

Prior to the injury he sustained last August, Dorsey had performed well as a nose tackle in the Niners' run to the NFC Championship Game in 2013. However, the ex-LSU man can also operate as a 3-4 defensive end, and that is a role he may be asked to fulfil as the likes of Tank Carradine and first-round rookie Arik Armstead learn their trade.

Dorsey will be tasked with ensuring the drop-off in play from Smith and McDonald is minimal and, as if that wasn't difficult enough, expect there to be plenty of pressure on him and free-agent signing Darnell Dockett to become leaders for those younger players in the trenches following Smith's departure.

In 2013 Dorsey, who is a free agent in 2016, was one of the unheralded players on the 49ers defense. His contribution will need to become more noticeable in 2015 in order to solidify the D-Line and for him to perhaps earn a new contract with San Francisco.

Aldon Smith

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One of things that was most noticeable about the 2014 San Francisco 49ers, aside from their struggles on offense, was a drop-off in the pass-rush production.

With Aldon Smith banned for the first nine games of the season, those problems in pressuring the quarterback were somewhat expected, even with the presence of rookie Aaron Lynch, who put in some fine performances in his maiden year in the league. The surprise was that fortunes hardly changed when Smith returned.

The 49ers finished 2014 with only 36 sacks to their name and with Smith accounting for just two. Now the former Missouri Tiger enters the final year of his contract with the Niners and knows he will have to demonstrate his value once more if he is to earn a new one.

Smith bet on himself to do just that in March by restructuring his deal so that his salary of $9.75 million is paid entirely in roster bonuses. That decision served as a big gamble for an outside linebacker with such well-documented off-the-field problems, and it will not pay off if he is unable to keep his nose clean.

If Smith stays out of trouble, however, then he has the talent to be one of the best pass-rushers in the league, as he proved by racking up 33.5 sacks in his first two seasons.

A season with double-digit sacks will force the Niners to pursue a big-money extension to tie down a player who, when everything is aligned, is undoubtedly a top-tier pass-rusher. Yet it will be difficult for Smith to shake off the tag of a problem child unable to realise his true potential should he continue to struggle.

San Francisco needs a more consistent pass rush; Smith needs to restore his reputation and is eyeing a lucrative new deal. The coming campaign is make-or-break in every sense for the 2011 first-round pick. 

Tramaine Brock and Dontae Johnson

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The 49ers secondary suffered two fairly sizeable blows in free agency as both Chris Culliver and Perrish Cox departed for the Washington Redskins and Tennessee Titans, respectively.

That duo had performed extremely well in 2014, and as a result of their exits, there will be greater expectations placed on Tramaine Brock and Dontae Johnson, whom I have paired together due to the equal amount of pressure on the shoulders of the prospective 2015 starters.

Brock was supposed to be the starter alongside Culliver in 2014 but played in just three games due to a persistent toe injury, leaving Cox to fill the void. Providing he has shook off those fitness concerns, then Brock will be back as the No. 1 corner on the team in 2015 and will need to immediately recapture the form that saw him record five interceptions and 15 pass deflections in his breakout season in 2013.

A player with Brock's ball skills is of great value to a cornerback group that now looks inexperienced in the wake of Culliver and Cox departing; however, San Francisco clearly now has a hole at the other starting corner spot, which will likely be filled by second-year player Johnson.

Johnson enjoyed a decent rookie campaign and finished the year with six passes defensed and an interception returned for a touchdown in the Week 6 win over the St. Louis Rams. He also has the length and frame NFL teams want from the corner position and allayed predraft concerns over his speed and ball skills with some impressive showings in 2014.

And, per the 49ers' official website, he is determined to build on the promising start to his NFL career:

"

I've been working in the weight room just getting strong, faster and more explosive. I want to continue to get better. You take it [the rookie campaign] and learn from it. I'm just going to take that information and progress this year. ...

With [defensive backs] Coach [Tim] Lewis, I had an opportunity to work with him at the Senior Bowl. So reuniting with him is good.

And [defensive coordinator Eric] Mangini is just one of those gurus who knows a lot of things and understands football in and out. You get little tidbits from both of those guys, and you just have to bank it and run with it.

"

For the sake of the 49ers secondary, it is imperative Johnson continues to learn from his coaches and forms a strong partnership with the returning Brock.

NaVorro Bowman

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With Willis and Justin Smith gone, one player stands out as the obvious emotional leader of the 49ers—inside linebacker NaVorro Bowman.

Bowman's recent history is well-known. He established himself as one of the best NFL linebackers alongside Willis and, in 2013, was playing at a level that perhaps should have seen him named as the Defensive Player of the Year. This was before suffering a horrific knee injury in a heartbreaking NFC Championship Game loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

Despite Bowman being unable to return in 2014, the 49ers defense was still one of the best in the league. However, given the losses that have hit the unit in the offseason, that is unlikely to be the case in 2015 unless Bowman quickly returns to his best.

It may seem improbable for a player who has missed so much time to instantly perform at an All-Pro level again, however, Bowman—per CSNBayArea.com's Matt Maiocco—would appear to disagree.

"

Just to get out there and do something is always good for the knee. As long as I keep doing that, it'll get used to knowing that I want to get out there playing football. The knee will get to where it needs to be, maybe not as fast as you guys expect. I'm definitely going to get back to that level.

"

That is a big claim and could be a difficult one for Bowman to back up. Still, the Niners need a player with the capability to lead by example on the field and serve as an emotional leader for an increasingly young team in need of direction.

It is somewhat unfair to place such pressure on a player making a comeback from an extremely bad injury, but the success of the 49ers defense and the team as a whole is tied to how quickly Bowman begins to look like his old self.

Torrey Smith

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After receiving a five-year, $40 million contract, Torrey Smith will have little time to adapt to life as a 49er.

Smith was selected as the player to help transform San Francisco's passing attack and arrived from the Baltimore Ravens widely regarded as a receiver able to stretch the field, make big plays and draw crucial pass-interference penalties, although he did endure something of an underwhelming 2014 season. 

Indeed, Smith caught 49 balls for just 767 yards and averaged only 15.7 yards per reception, though his 11 receiving touchdowns marked the best total of his pro career.

The 49ers have long lacked a deep threat, however, following Michael Crabtree and Stevie Johnson exiting, and with the ageing Anquan Boldin entering the final year of his contract, what San Francisco needs from Smith is for him to serve as a true No. 1 wideout, while the likes of Bruce Ellington, Quinton Patton and DeAndre Smelter develop.

Boldin and Vernon Davis are likely to attract the attention of opposing defenses, yet it is Smith who is undoubtedly the guy when it comes to the 49ers receiving corps. San Francisco gave Smith a big payday in free agency, now he must perform right off the bat and make an instant impact to prove that the front office did not waste money on his services.

Colin Kaepernick

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Of course the fortunes of Torrey Smith and the rest of the pass-catchers on the 49ers offense rest predominantly with one man, starting quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

Bleacher Report's Cian Fahey recently made the case that it is a "make-or-break" year for Kaepernick and following his struggles last year, it is difficult to disagree. Kaepernick did not take the next step in his development in 2014 after signing a team-friendly extension. 

Whether that was because of an offensive game plan that did not allow Kaepernick to play his natural game or his evident struggles with accuracy, decision-making and pocket presence is another matter. But the fact remains he cannot afford to have another down year in 2015. With his full salary guaranteed only for injury until April 1, the Niners could easily move on from Kaepernick should he disappoint again.

The 2016 quarterback draft class has more depth than that of 2015 and could provide the 49ers with a new quarterback of the future. That is a road San Francisco would rather not go down, and the early signs have been promising from Kaepernick, who has a seemingly improved throwing motion following his offseason work with Kurt Warner and Dennis Gile, per Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News.

It will take a lot more than a new throwing motion for Kaepernick to produce in 2015. Still, he does have a good starting pair of receivers in Smith and Anquan Boldin to work with and would appear to have more scope to play his natural game and "have fun" under Jim Tomsula, according to ESPN's Paul Gutierrez.

Having fun is one thing; however, if Kaepernick is to remain a 49er in the long term, he needs to rediscover a habit of winning that had come easily to him prior to 2014.

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