The Evolution of the 49ers Defense

The off-season moves on defense with players and coaches are connected to an evolutionary path, which may provide clues for the upcoming draft.

Statements at the NFL Annual Meeting in Orlando from Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch cited the need for the 49ers to evolve on defense. That led 49ers beat reporter/content creator Grant Cohn to note that all of the off-season moves on defense have been made with a specific evolution in mind.

The Genesis

The hot trend in the NFL this year was simulated pressure, a defense masking coverages and forcing a quarterback and offensive line to guess where the pressure was coming from.

These defensive schemes fooled Shanahan and led to critical defeats. Cleveland shutting the offense down. Baltimore producing four sacks and the pressure that led to five interceptions. Kansas City in the Super Bowl with nine free rushers, all on blitzes.

Adding simulated pressure and masking to the 49er defense taps into the trend, and also helps Shanahan educate himself on how best to beat it.

With Seattle hiring Baltimore defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald as their new head coach, the Niners will see this scheme at least twice a year in-division, and may well see it from every team in the division. In a copycat league, most teams are going to try to create their version of sim pressure and masking for the upcoming season.

The Moves

Recognizing they didn’t have the scheme knowledge in-house, the move to simulated pressure and more aggressive blitzing is one of the reasons behind hiring Brandon Staley as assistant head coach. His influence led to the signing of Leonard Floyd in free agency, as well as a move to more depth on defense upfront.

Staley implemented five-man fronts as a defensive coordinator and head coach. Floyd shined in that scheme with the Rams under Staley, able to bring pressure and drop back into coverage.

Defensive tackle Javon Hargrave reached his career-best success in a five-man front in Philadelphia. Linebacker Dee Winters was a designated blitzer at TCU with 7.5 sacks in his senior year.  

While a five-man front won’t replace the Wide 9, it’s a club in the bag for the Niner defense and a way to get young players like Winters on the field and contributing.

Part of why the Niners may be looking to move on from Talanoa Hufanga is his lack of success as a blitzer with only two career sacks. Ji’Ayir Brown had 4.5 sacks off blitzes in his final year at Penn State.

The Draft

The defensive evolution may also play out in the draft.

Cooper DeJean may fall to 31 and start at free safety, or as an outside corner that can play the run well. Ennis Rakestraw is the best run defending corner in the draft and projected for late 1st to early 2nd.

Physical DBs and safeties that can play zone and man, as well as run defend, are available in this draft from the 1st through the 5th round.

At edge, the Niners are interested in Marshawn Kneeland of Western Michigan, an edge-setter and a 3-4 edge/5-tech, as well as Utah’s Jonah Elliss, a 3-4 edge.

At linebacker, the top-ranked player Edgerrin Cooper had 8 sacks for Texas A&M, Payton Wilson of N.C. State had six sacks and three picks, North Carolina’s Cedric Gray, five sacks and an interception.

If any of these players are chosen, it’s with the evolution of the defense in mind.

While fans are focused on the clear needs at offensive line, the Niners may look elsewhere early, particularly if they haven’t signed a free safety by the draft and DeJean falls to 31.