Not an ideal start for the reigning NFC Champions after falling to division rival Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. Despite the uninspiring Week 1 debut, there were several 49ers who had notable performances in the matchup. Jeff Deeney of Pro Football Focus provided grades for six members of the 49ers who made impactful plays during Sunday's contest. Take a look at which 49ers stood out over the weekend.
1. Trent Williams
It's still crazy to believe the 49ers managed to replace a Pro Bowl left tackle with another standout talent to protect Jimmy Garoppolo's blind side. Trent Williams earned the highest mark on the team coming off of Sunday's contest, with an 88.6 overall grade. He was also graded second highest among all NFL tackles so far through Week 1. Williams allowed just one quarterback hurry in pass protection and earned a run blocking grade of 89.7.
Williams' most standout play came when the tackle flew off the line of scrimmage and bulldozed Cardinals linebacker Jordan Hicks on a run play. The highlight caught steam and has been picked up by multiple news outlets, garnering over 1.7 million (and counting) views on Twitter.
2. Hroniss Grasu
On Saturday, the 49ers called up Hroniss Grasu from the team's practice squad to the active roster. On Sunday, he earned the highest pass blocking grade on the day for the 49ers with an 84.8. Grasu, who got the start at center with Weston Richburg on PUP and Ben Garland out for the game, did not allow a single quarterback pressure on the day.
Grasu was signed by the 49ers as a free agent midway through training camp, following the retirement of offensive lineman Spencer Long. He was originally drafted by the Chicago Bears in the third round of the 2015 NFL Draft, and over his five-year NFL career, has spent time with the Baltimore Ravens, Miami Dolphins and Tennessee Titans.
3. Nick Bosa
It wasn't the ideal outcome for second-year defensive lineman Nick Bosa, as he has yet to get his hands on the former No. 1 overall pick. But he still managed to be a disrupter throughout Sunday's contest. Bosa earned an 84.7 overall grade on Sunday. He notched five quarterback pressures (one hit, four hurries) and had five run stops, which is tied for the most of any defensive lineman so far through Week 1.
"Obviously when you make plays, they're going to come after you and gameplan against you," Bosa said. "It's similar to last year. I think I played decent. Had a couple of mental mistakes in the game, but obviously not good enough to win. So (I've) got to get back to the drawing board."
4. Dre Greenlaw
Dre Greenlaw earned an 84.2 overall grade following Sunday's performance. The 49ers linebacker was targeted in coverage three times and gave up two catches for just four yards. He also notched a pass breakup. His standout play came as he managed to tip a pass intended for wide-open Cardinals tight end Maxx Williams at the line of scrimmage. The ball landed in the hands of Jaquiski Tartt, who returned the interception 16 yards to Arizona's 26-yard line. The turnover resulted in a Robbie Gould 24-yard field goal before the half.
5. Javon Kinlaw
Javon Kinlaw appeared in 48 percent of the team's defensive snaps on Sunday and earned a respectable overall grade of 81.4. San Francisco's first round pick notched two quarterback pressures and a run stop in his NFL debut. On one play, where the Cardinals were backed up near the 49ers end zone, Kinlaw beat Cardinals guard J.R. Sweezy that forced a quick incompletion by Kyler Murray.
Although Kinlaw did not blow up the stat sheet, he was the top rookie interior defensive lineman this week and landed in the No. 3 spot on PFF's 10 highest-graded rookies through Week 1.
6. Fred Warner
Fred Warner earned a 77.5 overall grade during Sunday's loss. San Francisco's middle linebacker notched three run stops on the day, and in coverage, allowed catches on 2-of-3 targets for just 12 yards, including one pass breakup.
"It was a lot different out there obviously," Warner said. "But I think we had every opportunity to win that football game. We've got to give them credit for pulling it out. Obviously, I think simple there are things we need to fix to make sure we're executing at a higher level. I think ultimately that's what's going to allow us to win football games."
