Jake Brendel
San Francisco 49ersModel Score
How good he is at what he is supposed to be doing, out of 100. Not a projection of what he will do next, and not a read on his contract. Median is about 70, and a 95 is rare. How it is built →
Season Stats · 15 games
Draft & College
STM Take
Tier 2 (#13) breakout in 2022 to back-to-back tier 8 finishes (2024, 2025) is the classic guard-decline arc, with the 2022 peak proving the structural ceiling existed. The UCLA UDFA origin plus the 49ers Super Bowl LVIII appearance plus 10 years of NFL survival give him real veteran résumé. The 2026 question is whether Brendel holds the starter role at age 33 or whether the 49ers explore a draft replacement.
Brendel came out of UCLA as a 2016 undrafted free agent signed by the Dallas Cowboys and bounced through Miami, Buffalo, and New Orleans before landing with the San Francisco 49ers as the starting center in 2022. He anchored the 49ers offensive line during the Super Bowl LVIII run. His STTM career runs tier 2 (#13) breakout in 2022, tier 6 (#42) in 2023, tier 8 (#61) in 2024, and tier 8 (#57) in 2025.
Strengths
- Super Bowl LVIII appearance as the 49ers' starting center plus the 2022 tier 2 (#13) peak confirms a top-15 ceiling existed in the right scheme fit.
- Ten years of NFL survival as a 2016 UDFA across five teams gives him the rare journeyman-to-Super-Bowl-starter résumé.
Concerns
- Three-year decline from tier 2 (#13) in 2022 to tier 8 (#57) in 2025 confirms the structural age-related drop is real.
- Age 33 plus 10 years of center-position wear puts late-2026 durability question on every projection.
What to watch: Whether Brendel holds the starting center job for the entire 2026 season, or whether San Francisco drafts a replacement to plan succession.