Niner Noise
FanSided

San Francisco 49ers: Report-card grades & analysis from Weeks 1 through 4

By Peter Panacy

CARSON, CA - SEPTEMBER 30: Wide receiver Kendrick Bourne #84 of the San Francisco 49ers celebrates after a touchdown in the first quarter against the Los Angeles Chargers at StubHub Center on September 30, 2018 in Carson, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
CARSON, CA - SEPTEMBER 30: Wide receiver Kendrick Bourne #84 of the San Francisco 49ers celebrates after a touchdown in the first quarter against the Los Angeles Chargers at StubHub Center on September 30, 2018 in Carson, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 10
Next
CARSON, CA – SEPTEMBER 30: Austin Ekeler #30 of the Los Angeles Chargers catches a pass and run into the end zone for a touchdown against Fred Warner #48 of the San Francisco 49ers during the second quarter at StubHub Center on September 30, 2018 in Carson, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
CARSON, CA – SEPTEMBER 30: Austin Ekeler #30 of the Los Angeles Chargers catches a pass and run into the end zone for a touchdown against Fred Warner #48 of the San Francisco 49ers during the second quarter at StubHub Center on September 30, 2018 in Carson, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) /

. . . LINEBACKER . D+

It’s weird to think the 49ers linebackers would be graded this low, especially considering this was supposed to be a position of both strength and depth entering the season.

The grade wasn’t helped by second-year pro Reuben Foster‘s two-game suspension to start the year. Malcolm Smith missing time with a hamstring injury, as well as Brock Coyle‘s season-ending concussion, didn’t help depth much either.

Had the depth not been tested, the grade would have been a solid C. But there are more reasons why this position ranks so surprisingly low.

Rookie linebacker Fred Warner has been a pleasant surprise, leading the team with 38 tackles. But he also had five missed tackles entering Week 4. Combined with Foster’s six misses in just one game back, bringing down opposing ball carriers has been something San Francisco’s defense has struggled with.

More from SF 49ers News

What’s Good

The Niners have their inside linebacking tandem with Foster and Warner, and we should expect both players’ tackling numbers to get better as the year drags on. That, plus Warner’s solid coverage abilities, make this a promising duo.

Any decent playmaking from Smith is only a bonus.

What Needs Improvement

Well, tackling, obviously. The 49ers entered Week 4 the league leaders in missed tackles (43) and suffered at least seven or eight more in their loss to the Chargers, many of which were on the linebacking corps.

If San Francisco could merely shore this up, the defense would improve oh so much. And, fortunately, this is one unit that could rise in grades very easily moving forward.