49ers depth chart: 4 backups who see increased roles in 2021

49ers depth chart: Kevin Givens a starting nose tackle

One of the less-discussed possible free-agent departures this offseason is starting nose tackle D.J. Jones, who has risen to prominence despite dealing with some notable injuries the last two years.

Those injury setbacks could be why the Niners elect to move on, though, meaning they’ll have to find a workable replacement for their base-down formations.

Fortunately, there’s a plausible solution already on the roster.

Like Jones with the player he replaced, former defensive tackle Earl Mitchell, nose tackle Kevin Givens is making his predecessor a bit expendable. In Jones’ absence last year, Givens was able to get into 13 games where he registered an impressive 19 tackles, five of them for a loss, with five quarterback hits and a sack. Givens also recorded a fumble recovery, too, which will add to his candidacy to be the starter on the 49ers depth chart in 2021.

Givens, a former undrafted free agent out of Penn State, has shot up the radar over his two seasons at the NFL level.

While run-stopping nose tackles are generally easy to find, the fact Givens already has some clout after rising to the challenge in 2020 works in his favor.