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The 49ers Defense Ranked 19th in Tackling Efficiency in 2024

The 49ers defense was soft in 2024.
Grant Cohn|
Dec 30, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; Detroit Lions running back Craig Reynolds (13) is tackled by San Francisco 49ers defensive tackle Sam Okuayinonu (91) during the third quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images
Dec 30, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; Detroit Lions running back Craig Reynolds (13) is tackled by San Francisco 49ers defensive tackle Sam Okuayinonu (91) during the third quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images | Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

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San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers defense was soft in 2024.

It had some defensive backs who could cover, but it couldn't stop the run or tackle well. In fact, the 49ers defense ranked just 19th out of 32 teams in tackling efficiency according to the NFL's Next Gen Stats.

"A unit led by Fred Warner usually doesn't finish in the back half of the NFL in tackling, but with a disappointing campaign from DeVondre Campbell, who was signed to fill in for an injured Dre Greenlaw, and some inconsistency from Nick Bosa, that's exactly what happened to this season's 49ers," writes the Next Gen Stats Analytics Team.

"In Week 12 in Green Bay, they missed 24 tackles (four more than any other team in a single game this season) and they didn’t force a fumble in their final 10 games. Their saving grace was their ability to stem the damage, allowing 4.8 yards per missed tackle (second-fewest in the NFL).

"Robert Saleh’s return as defensive coordinator may be a sign of better things to come in 2025. However, he’ll face a challenge if San Francisco can’t retain Charvarius Ward, possibly the best tackling corner in the NFL, in free agency."

The 49ers' biggest offenders were their defensive linemen, particularly Bosa, who failed to finish plays at an alarming rate. Bosa needs to play with much more discipline next season. Fortunately, he should respect Robert Saleh considering he's one of the best defensive coordinators in the NFL.

In addition, look for Saleh and the 49ers to add free agents at linebacker and safety considering Dre Greenlaw and Talanoa Hufanga most likely will sign elsewhere. Saleh's defenses usually are among the fastest and the best at tackling in the league.

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Grant Cohn
GRANT COHN

Grant Cohn has covered the San Francisco 49ers daily since 2011. He spent the first nine years of his career with the Santa Rosa Press Democrat where he wrote the Inside the 49ers blog and covered famous coaches and athletes such as Jim Harbaugh, Colin Kaepernick and Patrick Willis. In 2012, Inside the 49ers won Sports Blog of the Year from the Peninsula Press Club. In 2020, Cohn joined FanNation and began writing All49ers. In addition, he created a YouTube channel which has become the go-to place on YouTube to consume 49ers content. Cohn's channel typically generates roughly 3.5 million viewers per month, while the 49ers' official YouTube channel generates roughly 1.5 million viewers per month. Cohn live streams almost every day and posts videos hourly during the football season. Cohn is committed to asking the questions that 49ers fans want answered, and providing the most honest and interactive coverage in the country. His loyalty is to the reader and the viewer, not the team or any player or coach. Cohn is a new-age multimedia journalist with an old-school mentality, because his father is Lowell Cohn, the legendary sports columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle from 1979 to 1993. The two have a live podcast every Tuesday. Grant Cohn grew up in Oakland and studied English Literature at UCLA from 2006 to 2010. He currently lives in Oakland with his wife.

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