POSTED 10:43 p.m. EDT; UPDATED 11:12 p.m. EDT, July 6, 2006

PFT PRESEASON POWER RANKINGS:  NO. 27

We're tired.  Damn tired.  It's been a long day.  We've gotten some good scoops at a time when things are still pretty slow.  So we were tempted to pass on doing the latest Preseason Power Rankings entry until tomorrow.

But then we remembered the commitment that we made to you, the reader, to post one entry per day through the month of July and into August 1.  Thus, we will persevere despite our fatigue.  We will honor our word despite our malaise.

We will, in other words, phone this one in.

The San Francisco 49ers.

We've dropped the Niners above five other franchises despite a general dearth of talent for one reason -- Mike Nolan.  He's a good coach.  A throwback.  He wants to wear a tie during games.  A tie, Jerry.  A tie.  It's a sign, in our view, that Nolan has the kind of eye for detail that will carry him far as a head coach, and that will take his young team farther than its collective abilities would suggest.

We're not saying that the Niners will steal a wild card berth in 2006 or even win as many games as they lose, but in a division with a stagnating Rams team and the hyped-up Cardinals, the Niners can hold their own.

In addition to six games within a subpar NFC West (and the Niners play the NFC champion Seahawks tough at home), San Fran gets four contests against the still-woeful NFC North.  And don't forget that the team finished the year with two straight wins at a time when it easily could have folded the tents.

Though the roster still contains plenty of no-names, the front office worked hard to upgrade during the offseason, starting with the decision to pounce on offensive coordinator Norv Turner not long after he was fired by the Raiders, where he served as the head coach for two seasons.

Then came the purge in late February, when the 49ers released nine players (including receiver Johnnie Morton and cornerback Ahmed Plummer) and decided not to apply the franchise tag again to linebacker Julian Peterson. 

Next up, the team traded receiver Brandon Lloyd to Washington for (what else?) two of the 'Skins' 2006 draft picks, a third-rounder and a fourth.  We've heard that Lloyd was not well liked by teammates in San Fran, and that he had a reputation in the locker room for being lazy and having alligator arms.  Under those circumstances, getting a couple of draft picks for a guy who had one more year at most with the team is, for a young team working its way back up the ladder, a no-brainer.

Once free agency got going, the Niners added receiver Antonio Bryant, guard Larry Allen, and cornerback Walt Harris.  All three are likely to be in the starting lineup when the season begins.

The team added much-needed depth at the quarterback position by trading for veteran Trent Dilfer, who also will be able to help with the tutelage of 2005 No. 1 overall pick Alex Smith.

In the draft, the Niners struck gold (in our opinion) by landing tight end Vernon Davis, defensive end Manny Lawson, and running back Michael Robinson.  Davis is a freak who wasn't used to his full potential at Maryland -- Norv Turner will find a way to get the most out of his size, strength, and speed.  Lawson gives instant credibility to a defense that needs plenty of it.  And Robinson is yet another converted quarterback like receiver Rasheed Marshall, whose presence could give the offense the same kind of trick-play potential that played a big part in the Steelers' long-awaited thumb jewelry.

So this team is on the right track, and come next year at this time the Niners will be ready to make a run at a return to the postseason.

Now, the fantasy grades.

Quarterback:  Alex Smith struggled in his rookie season, throwing one touchdown pass against 11 interceptions.  Though we don't anticipate a Pro Bowl performance this time around, Turner is likely to push Smith closer toward his potential.  We'll give him a C- for now, but we'd be tempted to snag him as a backup in the event that he gets hot early in the year.

Running back:  Kevan Barlow's performance has declined over the past few years, and Frank Gore showed promise in limited duty as a rookie.  The wildcard is Robinson, who could end up stealing the starting job.  The bottom line?  It's too early to tell which if any of these guys will get the bulk of the touches, and we'd at most take a flier on one of them in the event that he becomes the go-to guy.

Wide receiver:  Antonio Bryant put up solid numbers in a bad Browns offense last year, racking up more than 1,000 yards on 69 catches.  In Turner's system, he could explode.  We'll give Bryant a B, but he could end up being a steal as a second or third receiver.  We'd avoid any of the other Niners wideouts, basically because it's far from clear at this point who'll get the most reps.

Tight end:  We like Davis a lot, and as tight ends go there aren't many guys we'd take ahead of him.  He gets a B+.

Defense:  Though we're higher than most on the 49ers, we've not yet lost our minds.  The defense was the worst in the league by nearly 30 yards per game, and likely won't be a lot better in 2006.

Kicker:  Joe Nedney is a solid veteran, but unless the offense really takes off he won't get many chances.  There will be better options at this position.  C-.