No. 3: SF 49ers Aren’t Losing Multiple Players on Defense
The final reason from Brad Gagnon’s piece we’ll examine here is poor health and losing players on defense. This seems concerning at first for San Francisco.
Most prominently, the 49ers traded away star defensive tackle DeForest Buckner to the Indianapolis Colts during the offseason to generate some much-needed cap space. Buckner’s loss could potentially be huge for the defense. However, the 49ers then drafted defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw in Round 1 to fill Buckner’s role.
More from SF 49ers News
- DraftKings NFL Draft Promo – Win $150 Guaranteed on Any $5 Bet
- Updated 49ers salary cap space ahead of 2023 NFL Draft
- Deebo Samuel fully admits his hatred of LA Rams
- Brock Purdy jokingly says he’s learning to throw left-handed
- 49ers news: Trey Lance is in the dark regarding trade talk
Even though Kinlaw is unlikely to fill Buckner’s shoes completely and immediately, he is a top prospect, has performed well enough in camp, and should be able to do enough to make Niners fans forget about Buckner to a certain extent.
Now, San Francisco certainly have had injury issues on defense. In fact, the 49ers dealt with many of them last season. That ultimately is why I am unconcerned about defensive health issues being a cause for the 49ers having a Super Bowl hangover in 2020. Yet they had many injuries on defense last season, too, and still went to the Super Bowl.
Everything that happened to the 49ers defense, and the team as a whole last season, showed they are a unique team, able to overcome obstacles most teams cannot.
That is why the Niners will be able to avoid a Super Bowl hangover, whether it’s caused by the same factors that destroyed the Rams, or any others. This team is built different, and Kyle Shanahan will be able to creatively lead them through any obstacle. Last season they overcame so many things that would have stopped a normal team.
When asking the question of whether or not the 49ers will have a Super Bowl hangover, it comes down to whether you think there’s something special, something unique, about this team and their ability to overcome.
I say there is.