The 49ers answered their longstanding question at quarterback. They invested heavily in the secondary through the draft and free agency after finishing 2017 ranked 22nd against the pass. But there’s still one glaring question facing the team with training camp beginning in just over a week.
Is the pass rush going to be good enough in 2018?
The 49ers finished last season with 30 sacks, tied for the fifth-fewest in the NFL. Their leading sack artist, Elvis Dumervil, remains a free agent after San Francisco decided against picking up his option for 2018. He had 6.5 sacks while no other player had more than three.
But coordinator Robert Saleh is confident the development of key figures in the defensive front, along with the addition of a pass-rushing specialist Chris Kiffin to the coaching staff, will lead to significant improvement in 2018. It could be the difference between getting to the playoffs or missing out for the fifth straight season.
Saleh spoke about the pass rush to Joe Fann of the team’s official website.
“They’ve identified some stuff that’s going to be a cool dynamic,” Robert Saleh told 49ers.com. “I think we’re going to be much further along pass rush wise.”
The plan is to improve rushing the passer as a unit. That means scheming pressures more often through the use of two-man games and stunts, not just relying on players to win their individual matchups. That’s where Kriffin comes in to work with defensive line coach Jeff Zgonina.
“When it got to pass rush, between Zgonina and coach Kiffin, they’re doing a very, very good job eliminating all of the gray area in pass rush,” Saleh said last month. “Creating a black and white picture so those guys understand exactly what job each person has, so they can learn how to play off of each other and they can rush as a unit.”
The team’s highly drafted players also have to start living up the billing. Players like Arik Armstead and Solomon Thomas have to take the next steps in their development to complement budding star DeForest Buckner, who led the league in quarterback hits last season but finished with just three sacks.
Thomas, the No. 3 pick in the 2017 draft, had three sacks in 14 games as a rookie. Armstead had 1.5 before suffering a season-handing hand injury Week 6 against Washington. The 24-year-old has missed 18 games over the past two seasons.
Said Saleh to 49ers.com:
“I’m really excited for Year 2. I think we have a chance to build on what we did a year ago. I’m excited for the front four. I believe Solomon is going to take a big jump. I think Arik was really starting to come on before he got hurt.”
On the edges, the team added former Chargers second-round pick Jeremiah Attaochu on a one-year contract. The team also brought back Cassius Marsh on a two-year deal. Those players, along with Eli Harold, figure to form the rotation on the edges in obvious passing situations. That trio has just 21 sacks in 11 seasons combined.
Pro Football Focus recently ranked the 49ers’ pass rush as No. 19 in the NFL entering the season. “The talent is there in San Francisco, but the big question is how they get them all on the field together, and make them fit,” PFF’s Gordon McGuinness wrote.
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