Addressing a glaring need at defensive end was perhaps the biggest obstacle between the 49ers and having a playoff-caliber roster going into the 2019 season. They utilized the draft and free agency to make big splashes at that spot, and have positioned themselves to have one of the NFL’s best defensive fronts next season. The additions of Dee Ford and Nick Bosa were enough for Pro Football Focus to name the 49ers the league’s most-improved defensive line.
Ford and Bosa as a pass-rush tandem allow the 49ers to bookend their defensive line with two elite pass rushers – a luxury most teams strive for.
San Francisco’s group of edge rushers was alarmingly unproductive last season and it impacted the entire defense. The 49ers improved that just by trading a 2020 second-round pick for Ford, who posted 13 sacks a season ago. Bosa had 17.5 sacks in 29 games at Ohio State. Both were among PFF’s highest-graded players at their positions last year, and Bosa was in that realm for all three of his college seasons.
Adding pressure off both edges should free up the middle for DeForest Buckner – who still finished 2018 with 12 sacks – along with the rest of the defensive interior. The Ford-Bosa combination should send a positive ripple effect that courses throughout a defensive line that struggled with consistency in 2018.
It’ll also be intriguing to see how new defensive line coach Kris Kocurek changes that unit. New personnel is helpful, but only if its deployed correctly.
A new wider setup along the defensive line will give the responsibility of setting the edge in the run game to a defensive end (more than likely Bosa), instead of giving it to a linebacker. The switch helps stretch the offensive line and help funnel offenses toward the teeth of the defensive front.
Ford and Bosa combined with the new alignment could be exactly what the 49ers defense needed to improve this season. Even if the secondary continues to struggle, it’s hard to believe it’ll be because of the defensive line’s shortcomings. PFF believes they’re already the most improved unit in the league, and they may only need a few weeks to prove it.
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