The 49ers’ Recent DL Moves Suggest an Improved Version of Bettcher’s NYG Defense
The San Francisco 49ers were extremely busy this past week, stealing NFL headlines by trading up to the third overall pick in the 2021 draft. So here’s something everyone’s been dying to read about: the defensive line’s depth.
The 49ers accomplished that by bringing back nose tackle D.J. Jones (6’0, 305) and edge-rusher Jordan Willis (6'4, 270), and signing nose tackle Zach Kerr (6’2, 335).
The top shared trait by all three defensive linemen is that they are big. This is notable when revisiting the personnel that senior defensive assistant and run game specialist James Bettcher used as the Giants’ defensive coordinator.
New York used its 2019 first round pick on 342-pound Dexter Lawrence, and started him alongside 318-pound Dalvin Tomlinson and 311-pound B.J. Hill with 260-pound edge-rusher Markus Golden. They also traded for 6’5, 302-pound Leonard Williams midseason.
That’s four extremely large defensive tackles accompanied by a speed rusher.
The 2019 Giants were not a great defense. Yet, it’s one to keep in mind as Bettcher will likely have a heavy influence on how inexperienced 49ers’ defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans handles his first season in charge.
And with the three recent signings (albeit only one being a new acquisition), the 49ers have the personnel to recreate that larger defensive front, with some upgraded features, if they choose.
It’s hard to imagine much success running up the middle when faced with Kerr, Jones, Javon Kinlaw (6’5, 319), Arik Armstead (6’7, 290) and Nick Bosa (6’4, 266).
This is in addition to already having one of the best linebacker duos in the NFL (Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw) and an elite tackling safety such as Jimmie Ward. This run-defense should continue to be one of the better ones in the NFL with plenty of depth.
The 49ers have 12 capable defensive linemen. With that depth, they’re easily able to slide them in-and-out of the lineup to keep everyone fresh.
San Francisco’s 2019 season was a perfect example of how an exceptional pass-rush can mask the flaws of a secondary. On passing downs, the 2021 49ers can call back their run-stuffers, and send out Kinlaw, Willis, Samson Ebukam (6’3, 240), and a variety of others to accompany Bosa and Armstead in the pass-rush.
The 49ers opened last season with nine defensive linemen on the roster in Armstead, Bosa, Jones, Kinlaw, Dee Ford, Kevin Givens, Kerry Hyder Jr., Kentavius Street and Solomon Thomas. They had two other veterans with Ronald Blair III on the physically unable to perform list (never returned) and Dion Jordan on the practice squad.
Thomas and Hyder have signed elsewhere in free agency, and Givens’ San Francisco future could be in jeopardy, but the others on the 2020 Week 1 active roster are still on hand.
Pencil in Kerr and Willis for Hyder and Thomas and replace the oft-injured Ford (who could very well start on an injured list) with Ebukam.
They have additional bodies behind that, with inexperienced edge-rusher Alex Barrett and nose tackle Darrion Daniels capable of supplanting a veteran for a roster spot.
Just because the 49ers have nine in place, doesn’t mean they’re done. They won’t hesitate to improve on their nine, especially on the edge, through free agency and/or the draft. But they have a solid foundation in place.
They no longer have DeForest Buckner or Hyder, but they’ve done a lot toward rebuilding their depth to where it was in 2019, when their line carried them to an NFC Championship.
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