The San Francisco 49ers are less than a week out from their regular season opener against the New York Jets on Monday Night Football.

As kickoff draws closer, it's time to put some predictions on wax for the 49ers' 2024 season. We tried to go bold with some, but a bold prediction for the sake of it isn't fun. Instead we leaned into things we think are realistic

Brock Purdy redux

Prediction: Purdy puts together another big year. He has 4,374 passing yards, 32 touchdowns and the efficiency that helped him land in the top-five of MVP voting last season. This year is different from a narrative standpoint though because there's more adversity for the 49ers and their QB. Purdy still puts up big numbers and guides the 49ers to the playoffs, earning the MVP award he could have won last year.

Jordan Mason coming out party

Prediction: It's a career-year for Mason, who gets added work thanks to his new place as No. 2 on the depth chart. The 49ers still rely heavily on running back Christian McCaffrey, but they do scale his workload back some. That opens the door for Mason to rush for 573 yards on 126 carries with five touchdowns in his first opportunity for regular carries as a pro.

Ji'Ayir Brown makes the Pro Bowl

Prediction: Brown is a takeaway machine in his first full season as a starter. The 2023 third-round pick hauls in six interceptions and forces three fumbles en route to his first Pro Bowl nod.

Deommodore Lenoir makes the Pro Bowl

Prediction: Last season's breakout pales in comparison to the 2024 campaign Lenoir puts together. He bounces between the slot and outside corner with ease, and becomes a darling of the portion of the NFL commentariat that consumes football mostly through an All-22 lens. Three interceptions, nine pass breakups and a passer rating allowed of 65.7 is enough to get him to his first Pro Bowl.

49ers lose every game Trent Williams doesn't play

Prediction: A trend from last season carries over. Williams agreed to a new contract the Tuesday before the regular season began, which may get him ready in time to play Week 1. If he doesn't, the 49ers will struggle to move the ball against the New York Jets. Last year Williams got hurt in Week 6 and missed Weeks 7 and 8. The 49ers lost all three of those games and scored 17 points in each contest. It'll be more of the same this year if Williams's availability is a problem again.

In-season trade for DE

Prediction: The 49ers are going to make a splash trade at some point during the year. Defensive end depth is a problem again and they tried solving it last year with trades for Randy Gregory and Chase Young. This year they'll go big again as their pass rush struggles to consistently get its footing through the first few weeks. With Nick Bosa and Javon Hargrave consistently getting multiple bodies thrown at them, the 49ers deal a second-round pick for an available DE.

All-Pro Deebo Samuel

Prediction: It may ostensibly be a contract year for Samuel and he lights it up in a continuation of his strong training camp. The result looks a lot like his 2021 campaign where he was a First-Team All-Pro. Samuel turns in 70 catches, 1,184 receiving yards, 284 rushing yards and 13 total touchdowns. It isn't quite as good as his 2021 run, but it's still impressive given the depth of the 49ers playmaking core.

Multiple kick return TDs

Prediction: The 49ers figure out the best way to maximize the NFL's new dynamic kickoff rules. Whether it's with rookie RB Isaac Guerendo as the kick returner, or Samuel in a key spot where the 49ers need a spark, San Francisco is going to take multiple kickoffs to the house for the first time since 1963.

Playoffs, no division title

Prediction: Some adversity strikes and the 49ers finish the season at 10-7, a game back of the Los Angeles Rams for the NFC West crown. San Francisco has its eyes on the postseason prize and still puts together a postseason run out of a wild card spot thanks to their wealth of experience.

This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: Brock Purdy MVP run highlights 9 bold-ish predictions for 49ers 2024 season