The Niners have a gaping hole on their defense.
The San Francisco 49ers are continuing a search for their next defensive coordinator, as they’ve currently held two interviews for the position: former New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh and Detroit Lions defensive passing game coordinator/defensive backs coach Deshea Townsend.
As the process goes along, there have been a number of reports suggesting that Saleh or Jets interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich could be favorites for the position, as they both have strong connections to head coach Kyle Shanahan and have familiarity with running the Wide 9 system.
Continuity and familiarity seem to be keys for the core defensive players heading into next season after two years of inconsistency in the defensive coordinator position under Steve Wilks and Nick Sorensen, respectively.
While other interviews and candidates could arise over the coming days, it appears that Kyle Shanahan is ready to return to a familiar face, retaining the Wide 9 system that comes along with the coordinator hire, should be it Saleh or Ulbrich.
The 49ers struggled with the scheme in 2024, especially in the run game, where they ranked in the bottom half of the NFL, while allowing at least 140 rushing yards in nine of their 11 losses.
What do the 49ers need if they hire Robert Saleh or Jeff Ulbrich as defensive coordinator and keep the Wide 9 scheme?
Well, for starters, the scheme itself isn’t necessarily the issue, as the 49ers have seen significant success between 2019-2022, especially when it comes to sack and pressure rates.
However, that stretch came when San Francisco had strong plug-and-play defenders up the middle that could eat up space, be it DeForest Buckner, Arik Armstead, or D.J. Jones, who all played valuable roles for the 49ers.
Over the past two years, however, the 49ers haven’t really had that player on a consistent basis.
Armstead was injured for much of the 2023 season, either playing hurt or missing games, which created a gap up the middle, as Javon Hargrave isn’t a strong run defender.
Then, in 2024, the 49ers didn’t even have Armstead and struggled with the group of Hargrave, Maliek Collins, Jordan Elliott, and Kevin Givens, as the unit consistently dealt with injuries and issues defending the run.
If San Francisco wants to return the Wide 9 scheme in 2024 and see improved results, even under a better defensive coordinator, they will need to make personnel changes, starting in the trenches.
The 49ers already announced that they’re releasing Javon Hargrave with a post-June 1st, so changes are coming at defensive tackle, but San Francisco really needs to make a change up front, be it in the draft or free agency, to improve their defense.
That could come as early as No. 11 in the 2025 NFL Draft, or even in the later rounds, but defensive tackle should be among, if not at the top of the team’s priorities in 2025.