Three 49ers Who Will Benefit the Least from Playing Under Raheem Morris

Not everyone will benefit from change.

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For better or worse, the 49ers' defense will be extremely different this season under new defensive coordinator Raheem Morris than it was the previous nine.

Since Kyle Shanahan became the head coach in 2017, the 49ers essentially have used versions of the Pete Carroll defense, which is a four-man front with zone coverage behind it. They almost never blitzed, which is one reason they ranked near the bottom of the league in both sacks and interceptions this season.

Morris has no connection to Carroll. Morris likes to bring pressure -- that's why the Falcons ranked second in the NFL in sacks last season with 57. He also likes to use five-man fronts instead of four-man fronts.

Which means some players will benefit from the changes on defense, and some will not.

Here are the three players who will benefit the least from playing under Morris next season.

Nick Bosa

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Since college, Nick Bosa has played one position -- 4-3 defensive end. That means he lines up outside the tight end in a three-point stance with his hand in the dirt. That's what he wants to play.

But, Morris likes to play five-man fronts with edge rushers who align in two-point stances, meaning they're standing up. This is not what Bosa wants to do. Because this would make him an outside linebacker, and outside linebackers get paid less than defensive ends.

If Bosa doesn't want to play outside linebacker, he could play three-technique defensive tackle, but those players also get paid less money than defensive ends because they record fewer sacks.

Part of what makes Bosa special is his ability to explode out of a three-point stance and keep his pads low. He would be much less explosive if he had to stand up before the snap.

It will be interesting to see if Morris adjusts his defense to accommodate Bosa. It's worth pointing out that Bosa most likely will miss all of OTAs, minicamp and training camp as he recovers from a torn ACL, so Morris could have a tough time tayloring his defense to Bosa's specific skillset.

Bryce Huff

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Huff is an edge rusher who rushes from a three-point stance or a four-point stance. He does nothing else well. He can't defend the run, and he can't rush from a two-point stance as an outside linebacker. The Eagles found this out the hard way after giving Huff a three-year, $51.1 million contract.

After just one year, the Eagles traded Huff to the 49ers so he could reunite with the coach who developed him, Robert Saleh. Now, Saleh is gone, and Huff is back in a 3-4 defense that he doesn't fit. Don't be surprised if the 49ers trade Huff to the Titans this offseason, considering they just hired Saleh to be their head coach.

Dee Winters

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Morris likes to use "Penny fronts," which feature three down linemen, two edge rushers in 2-point stances, and just one linebacker. On the 49ers, Fred Warner would be the one linebacker, which means Dee Winters would be the odd man out.

He would have to play as one of the edge rushers on the line of scrimmage in a two-point stance. And from this position, Winters still could defend the run and drop into coverage, but he would not be a threat as a pass-rusher.

Morris likes to have two edge-rushing threats on the field at all times, which means Winters could get replaced by a true 3-4 outside linebacker this offseason. Fortunately for Winters, that player isn't yet on the team.