SF 49ers depth chart: 5 players who step up in wake of injuries
By Peter Panacy
No. 5: SF 49ers Defensive Tackle Kevin Givens
The Niners defensive line was intended to be the deepest and most talented position group Kyle Shanahan fielded in 2020.
After the losses of Nick Bosa and Solomon Thomas, however, this unit will look awfully different for the rest of the season.
Another one of the injuries not discussed as much is to nose tackle D.J. Jones, who suffered an ankle injury in San Francisco’s Week 2 win over the New York Jets. Jones was also lost to season-ending injured reserve with an ankle injury late last year, so one figures the 49ers will be careful about returning him to the field too quickly.
This opens up the door for second-year pro Kevin Givens to see an uptick in snaps, particularly on base downs in rushing situations.
Givens has shown to be a valuable run-stopper for the Niners defense, boasting the second-best run-stop win rate in the NFL through two weeks (55 percent) out of all defensive tackles.
Even if Jones is ready to go, paired with Thomas being out, one figures Givens should see an uptick in field time. Already, Givens has managed three tackles and one quarterback hit in reserve duties this season, and he’ll likely be called upon more regularly to alleviate the absence of Thomas and to take pressure off Jones.
So far, the results from Givens have been promising.