The primary change the San Francisco 49ers want this coming season is the ending.

San Francisco was one play away from finally getting over the hump and winning Super Bowl 58 in February.

Now, after an agonizing overtime defeat to the Kansas City Chiefs, they must climb the mountain again.

The 49ers' offense underperformed in the Super Bowl after a remarkable season of production, but this offseason they added three players with the ability to ensure the NFL's best attack can reach greater heights and put team in an even better position to win it all in 2024.

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RB Isaac Guerendo

It may seem like a dubious claim to suggest any running back outside of Christian McCaffrey is going to have a transformational impact for the 49ers given how the reigning Offensive Player of the Year dominated the workload in 2023.

But, having signed McCaffrey to an extension this offseason, Kyle Shanahan accepted that having McCaffrey take on 339 touches each year likely isn't sustainable. The 49ers head coach isn't so much worried about McCaffrey's touches in the receiving game, but would like a player to eat into his carries.

That desire at least partially explains why the 49ers traded up in the fourth round to snag former Louisville back Guerendo, the most athletic running back in the class with the 4.3 speed to not only spell McCaffrey, but also provide a dynamic home-run hitting threat while doing so.

With Elijah Mitchell having suffered with durability issues throughout his career and the 49ers showing little faith in Jordan Mason last year, Guerendo could quickly vault into the role of No. 2 back and help McCaffrey preserve himself for the stretch run and an expected postseason campaign while adding a new explosive element to the ground game. 

On top of that, his speed makes him a compelling candidate to return kicks under the new rules and potentially score the 49ers' first kick return touchdown since 2018.

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WR Ricky Pearsall

A standout in OTAs and mandatory minicamp, Pearsall appears to be well on track to justifying the 49ers' surprising decision to select him 31st overall.

That pick was seen by many as an investment for a potential future without one of Brandon Aiyuk or Deebo Samuel. While that likely influenced the 49ers' thinking, a desire to have another separator they can put on the field from 11 personnel also probably had a lot to do with the Niners taking Aiyuk's former college teammate.

And the move to do so may look very prescient if Aiyuk follows down a similar path of stars who have recently been involved in protracted contract negotiations with the 49ers. 

Deebo Samuel and Nick Bosa have each previously said their respective contract sagas impacted their subsequent seasons after they reached a positive resolution.

While McCaffrey is confident the same will not happen with Aiyuk. The presence of Pearsall, who is said to have already built a strong rapport with Brock Purdy, could help the Niners protect against a slump from Aiyuk. 

Year one will at least see Pearsall give the 49ers the opportunity to present different looks from 11 — Jauan Jennings has typically been their third receiver behind Aiyuk and Samuel — and if he continues on his apparent trajectory, he could quickly solve the problem that plagued the Niners in their Super Bowl 58 loss by emerging as a man coverage-beating star.

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TE Logan Thomas

Signed during the week of mandatory minicamp, Thomas isn't going to have an integral role on an offense that has All-Pro George Kittle as its starting tight end.

But his addition ensures the 49ers have a secondary receiving threat from the position, something they categorically did not have when Kittle suffered an injury in the Super Bowl. The nature of the position and Kittle's style of play heightens his injury risk, and the Niners couldn't go into another all-in season without a backup who is at least somebody for whom defenses must account.

With Thomas in the fray, the 49ers have another 'power slot' option who can eat into some of Kittle's receiving snaps and give the league's premier tight end extra rest. In addition, they can also carry more of a threat from two tight end sets, offering the league's most multi-faceted attack another string to its bow.

Often it can be the under-the-radar signings made late in the offseason that end up making a huge difference in crunch time. Thomas, who has at least three touchdowns in three of his last four seasons and averages 9.1 yards per reception for his career, is one such player with the potential to come up huge if the 49ers find themselves in a clutch moment with Kittle in need of a breather.

NFL insider refutes Brandon Aiyuk’s suggestion that the San Francisco 49ers don’t want him

It immediately seemed a very dubious claim.