The 49ers’ defensive line will have a new look in 2024 after a bevy of offseason departures and arrivals.
“Those guys know how to get the most out of their D-linemen,” former Philadelphia Eagles All-Pro center Jason Kelce told NBC Sports Bay Area recently during the American Century Championship at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course in South Lake Tahoe, Nevada.
“They find ways to make it work. They’ve lost guys before.”
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Yes, the 49ers traded DeForest Buckner four years ago. And there always are some comings and goings, but this offseason was a lot different.
Arik Armstead was released after declining the 49ers’ proposal of a greatly reduced contract. Chase Young, Clelin Ferrell, Javon Kinlaw, Randy Gregory and Sebastian Joseph-Day signed elsewhere as free agents.
The 49ers compensated for those losses with the acquisitions of defensive ends Leonard Floyd and Yetur Gross-Matos, and defensive tackles Maliek Collins and Jordan Elliott.
“They’re so well-coached, and the organization is so well-run that I have little doubt that they’ll retool fine,” said Kelce, now an analyst on ESPN.
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Kelce retired this offseason after a 13-year career with the Eagles. He played against the 49ers six times in his career, including in the NFC Championship Game in January of 2023.
He described the plan of attack when going up against the 49ers’ defense.
“When somebody’s playing a four-down front, you hope you can get more double-teams,” Kelce said. “There are less guys at the point of attack, so if you can run the ball on them it can put them in a bind.”
The 49ers will feature a new defensive coordinator, Nick Sorensen, this season. The 49ers figure to function similarly to when Robert Saleh and DeMeco Ryans ran the defense.
Linebackers Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw are the keys to the 49ers’ defense because of their versatility, Kelce said.
“They have great talent,” Kelce said. “Their linebackers run around and make plays. They’re great in the pass game. They’re great in the run game.
“If you’re going to play a four-down front, if you have great linebackers who are able to assess things from a pre-snap perspective and make adjustments, it goes a long way.”
The 49ers’ run defense was generally good last season before giving up some yards late in the year. The 49ers surrendered an average of 4.1 yards per rushing attempt with only 10 touchdowns allowed in 18 games.
In three playoff games, the opposition rushed for 448 yards (5.1 per carry) and three touchdowns.
“What you want to be able to do is run the ball and establish the run game, then you can force them into some predicaments,” Kelce said of attacking the 49ers’ defense.
“But that’s easier said than done.”