49ers news: Brock Purdy may throw this week, CBS Sports ranks every NFL defense

It appears as if 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy is about to hit a major hurdle in his recovery from elbow surgery. This, plus more news from all things red and gold.

While there's still an awfully long road ahead of him, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy is about to reach an important milestone in the recovery from the UCL tear he suffered in last January's NFC Championship game and the subsequent surgery needed to repair it.

Last week, speaking to reporters from organized team activities, head coach Kyle Shanahan said that he was expecting Purdy to be throwing the week of May 29, which is Week 2 of OTAs.

The surgical procedure was performed back on March 10, and the initial timeline speculated that Purdy might not be available until early into the regular season. From the same press conference, Shanahan shared some optimism that Week 1 would be in play for the second-year signal-caller.

Judging by the latest developments, that's looking more and more possible.

Brock Purdy should begin throwing this week

As noted by David Bonilla of 49ers Webzone, Shanahan's comments translate over into Purdy actually being able to throw this week.

To date, no reports have surfaced about there being any delays in the next steps of Purdy's recovery and rehabilitation. Judging by the absence of information and report here, the logical conclusion would be for Purdy to begin throwing once more.

Shanahan will speak to reporters again on Wednesday after OTA practices, and it's likely that question will be asked.

However, one should expect Purdy to be able to toss the football this week.

It's still going to take time for the quarterback to build up his arm strength, though, and the chances of him missing some of the regular season are still very much there.

In the meantime, fellow quarterbacks Trey Lance and Sam Darnold are vying for QB1 duties heading toward training camp and the preseason.

CBS Sports just tiered each NFL defense entering 2023, where did the 49ers end up?

One of the reasons the Niners are viewed as a Super Bowl contender despite their shaky quarterback situation because of their defense, which ranked No. 1 in fewest points against last season.

Now, with the 2023 season on the horizon, Jared Dubin of CBS Sports put together a tiering of each team's defenses.

It's a safe conclusion San Francisco didn't fall into the worst category, which is graced solely by the defensively challenged Las Vegas Raiders and the lowly Arizona Cardinals.

Actually, the 49ers are one of only four teams predicted to be the NFL's best defense this year, joining the Buffalo Bills, Dallas Cowboys and New England Patriots.

Here's Dubin's breakdown of the analysis:

"The Niners have been the league's best defense over the past few years, and despite losing defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans, they have more than enough on hand to remain at or near the top of the charts. The addition of Javon Hargrave upgrades the interior pass rush, the NFL's best linebacker duo is still in town, and we have seen this group work wonders in the secondary for too many years not to expect it again. Plus, Steve Wilks is plenty capable of coordinating a top unit."

Read more: Where do Niners rank among NFL's most complete teams?

The Niners did lose some key pieces during the offseason, including safety Jimmie Ward and cornerback Emmanuel Moseley.

Yet the belief is someone like Hargrave can help make up for those losses on the back end by reinvigorating an already potent pass rush. Paired with the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, EDGE Nick Bosa, it might not matter as much who is covering on the back end if opposing quarterbacks don't have time to throw.

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