Ranking 49ers 10 best players in 2021 after first four weeks
By Peter Panacy
player. 42. . . . Dee Ford. 9
No. 9: 49ers EDGE Dee Ford
Considering there was a real chance the 49ers would have to eat his 2021 salary while he remained on an injured list for the entirety of the year, the fact the Niners have gotten production for all four games this season from EDGE Dee Ford is pretty amazing.
True, Ford hasn’t been an every-down player this year. And there have been some games, particularly Week 3, where his pass-rushing efforts have all but disappeared.
That said, Ford is No. 2 on the defense in sacks, having picked up three over the four-week span despite appearing on just 29 percent of defensive snaps so far.
There’s a noticeable difference when Ford is on the field during obvious passing downs, and his speed has been indicative of what he once displayed back with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2018 when he made his first and only Pro Bowl.
Ford might not be on that kind of trajectory in 2021, and San Francisco will still want to be cautious with him and his previously suffered back injury.
But when he’s been on the field, mostly, he’s made a difference.