Those rumblings about the decline of Carlos Hyde’s career have not yet come to fruition.
The first unofficial depth chart of the Kyle Shanahan/John Lynch era in Santa Clara shows Hyde as the No. 1 tailback for the 49ers, ahead of veteran Tim Hightower and rookie Joe Williams.
Hyde is one of the only skill-position constants. The depth chart has three new quarterbacks (Brian Hoyer, Matt Barkley, C.J. Beathard), two new starting receivers (Pierre Garςon, Marquise Goodwin), and a new fullback (Kyle Juszczyk).
While plenty of focus will land on the offense, the defense is gradually rebuilding a potent front seven. Not long ago, the 49ers had strong units on both sides of the ball. They’ve got a long way to get to where they were, but they seem to be off to an intriguing start.