49ers' defensive hires could make them the premier defense in the NFL

With the San Francisco 49ers hiring Nick Sorensen as their new defensive coordinator and Brandon Staley as an assistant head coach, they could become the premier defense in the NFL.

49ers' defensive hires could make them the premier defense in the NFL

Of course, coaching hires do not automatically give a team an elite defense. You need elite players, and the Niners already have those. With players like Nick Bosa, Fred Warner, and Charvarius Ward, it is essential that the 49ers get the most out of their defensive stars while they are under contract and in their prime years.

The hiring of Sorensen and Staley promises to do that.

Sorensen is fairly untested and somewhat unknown. He has spent the last two seasons understanding and learning San Francisco's defensive system. Before that, he was a coach for the Seattle Seahawks who run a similar defense to what the 49ers play.

There may be growing pains for Sorensen as he steps into this new role, but that is why the hiring of Staley as well is so smart. Staley is a guy with experience being a defensive coordinator. He can be a collaborator and mentor with Sorensen as he learns what it takes to be a defensive coordinator in the NFL.

The Sorensen hire makes sense given the fact that he has had a hand in multiple parts of the team's defense, from their linebacker group to their secondary. There were some complaints that the team's defense was not as unified as it could have been under Steve Wilks last season.

Sorensen seems like the right guy to smooth over those differences given the fact that he has been involved all over the defense.

Even though Staley did not coach the same style of defense when he was with the Los Angeles Chargers, all indications are that he is a bright defensive mind. Perhaps something of a Kyle Shanahan but on the defensive side of the ball.

If he can provide some broader defensive advice that benefits the team without forcing them to learn a completely foreign style of defense, then his hire will certainly have been a worthwhile one.

We will have to see how the team's defense looks next season, but on paper these hires make a lot of sense and could allow the 49ers defense to become the premier defense in the NFL in 2024.

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