5 burning questions facing DeMeco Ryans, 49ers defense in 2021
By Peter Panacy
First-year 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans inherits a solid defense in 2021, yet there are still some major hurdles and questions to answer.
In 2017, then-San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh was taking on a new job for which he was totally unfamiliar and amid a complete roster rebuild under head coach Kyle Shanahan.
Saleh, of course, turned that challenge into the head coaching job of the New York Jets in 2021, leading to one of his assistants, now-Niners coordinator DeMeco Ryans, to hopefully have an easier path ahead of him this season and beyond.
Ryans doesn’t inherit a rebuilding defense like Saleh did. San Francisco has playmakers at all three levels, which should make Ryans’ life less painful.
That said, there are a number of major question marks and challenges Ryans will face in year one of his coordinating tenure.
No. 5: Will DeMeco Ryans be forced to rely heavily on 49ers’ depth linebackers?
Ryans, a prominent linebacker during his NFL playing days, is going to rely heavily on standouts like All-Pro Fred Warner to dictate the defensive changes the 49ers will experience in 2021.
Warner and third-year pro Dre Greenlaw comprise one of the better starting linebacker tandems in the league, but the depth behind those two is questionable at best, untested and also somewhat injury prone.
Azeez Al-Shaair figures to hold down the No. 3 spot on the depth chart, which is fine. But after that?
Undrafted rookies Justin Hilliard and Elijah Sullivan, whose injuries at the collegiate level forced each to go through six seasons at their respective programs. Those two will be competing with veterans like Al-Shaair, James Burgess and Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles.
If both Warner and Greenlaw stay healthy, it’s no bother. But Ryans, who saw the Niners’ injury woes last year, knows all too well how injury attrition can pile up.
Hopefully, it doesn’t here.