49ers’ 5 most important defensive players entering 2019
By Peter Panacy
The San Francisco 49ers spent considerable effort revamping their defense in 2019, particularly up front. Niner Noise ranks out the five most important defenders this upcoming season.
A year ago, the San Francisco 49ers had a very provocative defense. This isn’t to say it was a good unit — it was in some areas, while being terrible in others. Rather, the numbers when 16 games were in the books lead to some interesting conclusions.
The Niners allowed only 5,546 all-purpose yards last season, which ranked 13th best in the league. But in contrast, defensive coordinator Robert Saleh’s unit gave up a whopping 435 points — fifth worst in 2018.
Part of that can point to the team’s turnover issues, both on offense and defense. San Francisco forced just seven takeaways — an NFL record low in a non-strike-shortened season — while the offense turned the ball over 32 times, which was tied for second most.
The 49ers surrendered more than its share of late leads, too, leading to the multitude of changes general manager John Lynch and Co. engineered during the offseason.
Two of these, namely trading for EDGE Dee Ford from the Kansas City Chiefs and selecting EDGE Nick Bosa with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, were intended to make San Francisco’s defensive line a massive strength this season.
For that to work, however, a number of Saleh’s defensive contributors will need to provide an excellent impact over the course of 2019.
One could make the argument each of the 49ers’ defensive players this season have a major role to play. But there are some whose responsibilities are bigger than others.
Niner Noise has already looked at the five most important offensive players for the upcoming season. Now it’s time to evaluate the other side of the ball, breaking down the five most important defenders for 2019.