It turns out the 49ers’ pass defense wasn’t very good in 2018. They finished No. 11 in yards allowed, but 31st in touchdowns allowed and were the worst team in NFL history at intercepting passes. Their ineptitude against passing attacks earned them the lowest coverage grade in the NFL from football analytics site Pro Football Focus.

While they return largely the same group of defensive backs they had a year ago, there are plenty of signs that their coverage should improve this season. Here are four reasons why that portion of San Francisco’s defense should get dramatically better this season.

Overhauled pass rush

Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports

Perhaps the biggest factor in improving the team’s coverage will be the addition of pass rushers Dee Ford and Nick Bosa.

San Francisco’s inability to pressure opposing quarterbacks was a problem very few secondaries in the league would’ve overcome. There were plenty of mistakes in the back end, but quarterbacks were able to capitalize on those miscues in part because of the time they had to make decisions.

Adding Ford and Bosa should accelerate the clock opposing quarterbacks are working with in the pocket, while simultaneously freeing up the pass rush in the middle. All of those factors will make quarterbacks more uncomfortable and give them less time to work, which makes life much easier on players in coverage.