Training camp is about to force the 49ers to face a reality they can’t keep talking around: their defense, especially up front, still has a serious problem.
That’s the part of the roster that will get the loudest answers once the pads come on. Until then, the picture is fuzzy. But the front line already gave away plenty last season, when San Francisco’s pass rush cratered and the team finished dead last in sacks.
Nick Bosa’s torn ACL in Week 3 was the turning point, and the absence was too much for the unit to absorb. Bosa is coming back, but expecting one player - even one as dominant as he is - to drag the entire group from awful to elite is a stretch, especially with his own injury history now including two torn ACLs.
The rest of the group doesn’t exactly scream turnaround. C.J.
West is back on the interior after being graded the fifth-worst of 134 qualifying linemen last season. Alfred Collins returns at nose tackle, and he wasn’t far behind, ranking 123rd of 134 interior linemen.
That’s why the coming weeks matter so much. If the 49ers recognize early that this front seven isn’t good enough, the obvious question becomes whether they should make a bold move and pursue Maxx Crosby from the Las Vegas Raiders.
It would be a swing worth considering. The 49ers are one of the older teams in the NFL, and their championship window is getting tight. In that kind of spot, there’s not much sense in playing it safe.
Bosa and Crosby together would give San Francisco the best pass-rushing duo in the league, and new defensive coordinator Raheem Morris could build his defense around them.
The urgency isn’t just internal, either. The Los Angeles Rams were already a popular Super Bowl favorite before they traded for superstar Myles Garrett, and the Seahawks aren’t far behind. Crosby was recently rated the fourth-best edge rusher, and landing him could change the entire outlook of the NFC West.
If the 49ers miss the warning signs and stick with what they have, they risk another season that looks a lot like the last one: a defense that can’t get after the quarterback and an offense left trying to keep pace.
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Demarcus Robinson is the veteran most affected by the reshuffling. He is set to make $4 million, and with San Francisco leaning toward cost-effective depth and a crowded pecking order forming, his standing is suddenly much less secure. Ricky Pearsall, Christian Kirk and possibly Jordan Watkins are part of the mix pushing ahead of him, which is why Robinsons place on the roster has become one of the more interesting camp questions to watch. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Quietly Have A Trent Williams Problem Fans Know Too Well
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That matters in San Francisco because Williams availability has been an issue for years, with at least one missed start in every season since 2020. Pleasants also comes at minimal cost, sitting on a veteran minimum deal with no guaranteed money, which gives the team flexibility but also underscores how thin the margin is if the 49ers are forced to lean on that spot again. [Read more 🡒]