Maybe the 49ers are suffering from a Super Bowl hangover, which is why they are falling so far behind this year in the standings. On paper, though, San Francisco is expected to start the season as one of the top candidates to go to New Orleans for Super Bowl LIX as the NFC representative. They are now ranked No. 2 in the ESPN post-draft power rankings, having moved up from No. 3 after free agency.

The 49ers have given themselves an opportunity to significantly increase their depth this season on both sides of the ball, even though it doesn’t appear like many of their draft selections will contribute as starters in Year 1.

They should have a strong, adaptable receiving group at wide receiver thanks to the choices made, one that is more equipped to handle Brandon Aiyuk or Deebo Samuel’s absence. They recruited a right tackle or guard who may start on the offensive line, as well as two players to strengthen their secondary.

The 49ers have a squad they know can make another long postseason run when they combine that with some of the free agency additions they made to strengthen their pass rush. All they have to do is stay away from the crippling effects of the Super Bowl hangover, which have caused so many teams with big aspirations to fail after losing the game. They should be in excellent shape to rank among the top two or three NFL teams once more if they can avoid that hazard.