49ers' Defense Graded as the Seventh-Worst Unit by PFN

It's tough to pushback on the grade that Pro Football Network gave to the 49ers' defense.

Dec 30, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers linebacker Fred Warner (54) during the game against the Detroit Lions at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images | Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

It's no secret that the San Francisco 49ers' defense was deflating this season.

That is why the 49ers fired Nick Sorensen as the defensive coordinator and hired Robert Saleh. They never wanna have the defense lose it's fear-factor again and it did under Sorensen. It got so bad that the 49ers' defense was graded as the seventh-worst unit in the NFL by Pro Football Network.

Here is their explanation on the grade given.

"For all the attention the injuries on offense got this year, the decline of the San Francisco 49ers’ defense was a huge concern as well. Having been a top-10 unit each year between 2019 and 2023, San Francisco slipped to its worst season-long ranking since the Defense+ metric began. Run defense was a huge weakness this year. The Niners 28th in EPA per rush and 25th in rushing success rate.

"Unlike past years, they couldn’t prop that up with an effective pass defense, where they ranked 25th in success rate. Looking ahead, cornerback Charvarius Ward and linebacker Dre Greenlaw stand out as the top free agents on this unit. Losing Ward, in particular, would be a tough blow given the lack of depth at corner, as that’s an area the Niners will need to address to return to contention."

The 49ers' defense doesn't get criticized enough for the piss-poor player execution. Sorensen was scapegoated in a way because he was the new play-caller. While he wasn't good by any means, he wasn't the lone issue either.

There are plenty of instances in 2024 where players were in position but couldn't make the play. It's a culmination of missed tackles, poor angles taken, and failure to come away and force turnovers. All of that isn't going to help a first-time defensive coordinator.

Either way, the 49ers will need to upgrade the talent on defense badly. Not even Saleh will be able to turn the current personnel into an elite unit. However, the issue isn't with cornerback due to Charvarius Ward's likely departure.

The 49ers have Deommodore Lenoir and Renardo Green who is ascending. Another player will be needed, but they don't need a high-level player like Ward at cornerback. It isn't pressing this offseason. What they need desperately is defensive line and safety help.

A few impactful players there will do wonders for the 49ers' defense. That way they can avoid being a bottom-seven defense in the NFL in 2025.

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