3 differences 49ers defense may employ under DeMeco Ryans

While there will be similarities, the 49ers defense under first-year coordinator DeMeco Ryans won’t be a carbon copy of the one Robert Saleh left behind.

From 2017 through 2020, then-San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh went from a coach who seemed to be on the hot seat to one of the top head-coaching candidates in the NFL heading into 2021.

Saleh, who never served as a coordinator before 2017, gradually implemented adjustments from the Seattle Seahawks-like scheme he first experienced, and those tweaks and changes helped engineer back-to-back top-five defenses in San Francisco over the last two seasons.

Those efforts also resulted in Saleh getting his current job as the New York Jets’ head coach this offseason.

In Saleh’s wake, the 49ers are hoping one of his former assistants, now-defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans, can enjoy the same trajectory of success.

Ryans recently met with the media for the first time this offseason, highlighting what he expects from his first year as coordinator and what the rest of the league can look forward to with the defense he inherited from Saleh:

"Our defense will be a fast, attacking aggressive defense. I want guys who are fast, who smart, who are physical. … Growing up watching the 49ers play defense, the defense always stood out here. We want to continue that tradition of playing aggressive defense."

It’s a lot of “coachspeak.” Who, as a coordinator or coach, wouldn’t want their defenses to be fast, smart and physical?

“You will see some wrinkles. You will see my brand of football on it,” Ryans added. “We will be a more aggressive, attacking defense.”

Still, there are some indicators and takeaways pointing out some possible changes to what fans saw under Saleh the last four years and what they may see under Ryans this upcoming season.

Here are three to look out for.