4 distinct advantages 49ers have over NFC West rival Rams
By Peter Panacy
49ers advantage No. 4: Niners have better edge-rushing prowess
Overall, both teams’ defensive lines could possibly cancel each other out, the Niners boasting the better edge-rushing presence, whereas Los Angeles is far superior on the interior.
However, if we’re going to place an emphasis on the outside pass rush, San Francisco is in much better shape.
Both teams have questionable offensive lines that might play into the other team’s D-line strengths, which makes the two regular-season contests between these two teams one of interest for Pro Bowl EDGE Nick Bosa, who had a career-high 15.5 sacks a year ago to go along with an NFL-best 21 tackles for a loss. And while the 49ers may be hurting a bit in the wake of losing No. 2 defensive end Arden Key in free agency and also the inevitable moving on from fellow EDGE Dee Ford, adding former USC pass-rusher Drake Jackson with their top pick in this year’s NFL Draft helps alleviate that.
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In contrast, NFL.com cited the Rams’ edge rush as the No. 1 roster void needing to be plugged entering the upcoming season:
"L.A. wanted to bring back Von Miller, who chose instead to cross the country and sign with the Buffalo Bills in free agency. To date, the Rams haven’t filled the void. Leonard Floyd, who netted 20 total sacks over the past two seasons in Los Angeles, remains a stud on one side. However, beyond Floyd and uber-rich DT Aaron Donald, no Rams player on the roster reached the five-sack threshold in 2021."
Yes, Floyd and Donald are threats. No doubting that. But LA not having a quality (or even a promising) No. 2 pass-rusher could prove to be a problem this season.
One which the Niners will look to exploit.
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