DeMeco Ryans Sheds a Positive Light on the 49ers' Defensive Line Depth
Depth is looking a bit scarce for the 49ers on the defensive line.
First it was defensive tackle Hassan Ridgeway who suffered a pec strain against Miami that will sideline him for at least six weeks. Now it is Kerry Hyder Jr. (ankle) and Kevin Givens (knee) that are both dealing with injuries. Hyder's injury shouldn't force him to miss time, but Givens is dealing with a sprain, so he is out for a bit.
A great strength of the 49ers has always been their defensive line depth, but with multiple players dealing with injuries, they are starting to thin out. However, that is not something defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans is really worried about. Ryans was able to shed a positive light on the depth at defensive line at his Tuesday press conference.
"We have a lot of guys who played a lot of ball," said Ryans. "A lot of guys that we move around and try not to max those guys out, try to keep them fresh as possible. And that's how we're effective as a defensive line because we want to come in waves, so it's just a matter of, it's always a d-line by committee. That's always been how we operate, so the guys who we have feel like they can go out there and play well for us."
It is basically utilizing the "platooning" system for the 49ers. The continuous rotation of players is what makes their run defense and pass rush so efficient. To Ryans' point, even though they are hurting from a few players missing or dealing with an injury, they are still in a fairly strong position to be successful at defensive line. It is tough to argue with Ryans there.
When Arik Armstead and Javon Kinlaw went down for a couple months, the defensive line was still able to thrive. This is a position that can still function at a high level. And with Armstead back in the mix, the loss of depth players isn't a substantial blow to their efficiency. Armstead has been making a major impact by commanding double-teams, rerouting running backs and assisting Nick Bosa in generating pressure.
So long as these two are in the starting lineup, the 49ers will be more than fine with a few players on the mend.
