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What a difference a year makes
On Monday, we went over what the San Francisco 49ers depth chart looks like on offense. Today we move to the other side of the ball. The 2019 49ers defense was nothing short of spectacular. The additions of Nick Bosa and Dee Ford transformed the defensive line into a nightmare for opposing offenses. The speed of Kwon Alexander and Dre Greenlaw made it challenging to run east and west and the smarts of the secondary limited explosive passing plays for the majority of the season.
Fast forward a year, and the 49ers are in a better position than the majority of defenses in the NFL. That’s how we should look at this unit. Losing DeForest Buckner sucks. There is no way to sugarcoat that part. We’ll find out how the Niners plan to replace DeFo in the coming months. Until then, here is how the depth chart looks a month away from the draft.
Like yesterday, starters will be in bold.
Defensive line
Arik Armstead, D.J. Jones, Nick Bosa, Dee Ford
Solomon Thomas, Ronald Blair, Kerry Hyder*, Jullian Taylor, Kevin Givens, Kentavius Street
Who “starts” remains to be seen, but the four players in bold are who I’d expect to play the most snaps in 2020 for the 49ers. I doubt the 49ers exercise Solly’s fifth-year option. It’s a stretch, but if Thomas has a breakout season, then what? I’ll be curious to see
About the Author: Insidethe49
