As the San Francisco 49ers approach the start of training camp, they are preparing to learn more about the makeup of their team. After all, it's difficult to quantify a roster until they hit the field.
Hopefully, the Niners will see whatever everyone has been seeing for a while now. Their defense simply isn't good enough, specifically on the front lines.
Fortunately, there is a solution, but they are running out of time.
Last season, the 49ers boasted one of the worst pass rushes in the league. While such an area is usually the team's M.O., Nick Bosa's torn ACL in Week 3 proved insurmountable, and the Niners finished dead last in sacks.
Now, Bosa is set to return, but it's unrealistic to think one player (especially one who has suffered two torn ACLs in his career) will single-handedly turn the unit from abysmal to elite.
Along with Bosa, San Francisco has elected to stick with multiple notable underachievers. C.J. West will return to the interior. Last season, he was graded the fifth-worst of 134 qualifying linemen. Alfred Collins will return at nose tackle. He wasn't much better than West, ranking 123rd of 134 interior linemen.
49ers have 1 clear solution if they learn lesson fast enough
Niners fans will likely be praying that the 49ers don't roll into 2026 content with their defensive front seven. If they are able to spot this incompetence early enough, it would raise the question of whether they should push for a trade with the Las Vegas Raiders to acquire star Maxx Crosby.
The Niners as a whole are one of the older teams in the NFL, and they are nearing the end of their championship window.
There is no reason not to go all in and make a home-run swing such as this.
Together, Bosa and Crosby would easily give San Francisco the best pass-rushing duo in the league, and new defensive coordinator Raheem Morris could build the foundation of his unit on the two.
Regardless, something needs to change on the defensive end. The Los Angeles Rams were already a popular Super Bowl favorite before they traded for superstar Myles Garrett, and the Seahawks aren't far behind. Crosby just got rated the fourth-best edge rusher, and acquiring the phenom could potentially change the entire outlook of the NFC West.
If the 49ers fail to evaluate their defense appropriately, however, fans could be looking at a season similar to last year, where the defense fails to put pressure on the opposition, and the offense struggles to keep up.
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