3 changes the 49ers should make on defense before the 2025 playoffs

These changes need to happen.

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The San Francisco 49ers defense is not going to magically get Nick Bosa, Fred Warner or even Mykel Williams back, so it is hard to say that they can reach their peak level.

However, there may be some things that Robert Saleh can try to do in the final two games to improve things entering the playoffs. 

Should the 49ers blitz more?

The 49ers are currently 32nd in the NFL in blitz rate, sending an extra man just 16.6% of the time, according to Pro Football Reference. This is fine as the Houston Texans, Green Bay Packers, Seattle Seahawks, Los Angeles Rams, and Los Angeles Chargers are all in the bottom eight in blitz rate, with the highest being 20.1% 

However, all of them record a pressure 20% of the time or more, with some teams over 26%. Meanwhile, the 49ers only get pressure 14.8% of the time. They need to increase their pressure rate by about 6%, which ends up being about two pressure points per game. 

They are not getting it with the players on their roster; their best bet is to blitz more. Dee Winters and Upton Stout actually have strong skill sets that suit blitzing. Should Saleh use them more here?

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Replace Jason Pinnock with Marques Sigle 

The 49ers benched Pinnock and Sigle after Week 7. However, Sigle has played just 10 snaps since then, while Pinnock has played 115. He has taken on the dime role that Ji’Ayir Brown had before he stepped into the starting lineup. The issue is that Pinnock has been a liability in the role, and any time he steps on the field, a pass gets completed. 

Pinnock was always better in the centerfield role, while Sigle was the better box player of the two. So, the team should try to get the rookie into the dime role, where he may end up being comfortable. Maybe he finds a role he can fill for years to come. 

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Will they get healthier?

The team just got a heap of new additions with Tatum Bethune, Sam Okuayinonu, and Yetur Gross-Matos. However, as those names come in, Renard Green steps out, and that may have offset the majority of the returns. Darrel Luter was an issue against the Colts, but Green should be back soon. 

The 49ers will also get those three more integrated in their second week back. At the very least, it will be the best the group has looked on paper in a while.