SANTA CLARA — The 49ers' defensive line is looking to improve on its dominant ways, but Javon Hargrave explained it isn’t as easy as one might think.
Nick Bosa has hinted that it can be difficult to change the mindset of a pass rusher joining defensive line coach Kris Kocurek's room for the first time. Linemen who have had to read the offense and even cover, have one job to to do when they come to the Bay Area — go get the quarterback.
“I still feel like I still ain’t 100 yet,” Hargrave said on Thursday. “But definitely later in the season, I felt like I understood what he was trying to tell me do. Just kind of to get out of my old ways, and just buy into what he was trying to teach me.”
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
Hargrave isn’t the first defensive lineman who hasn’t had the production he expected to have when joining the 49ers. The Pro Bowl defensive tackle’s seven sacks were still a big part of the 49ers defense in their Super Bowl LVIII run of 2023, but in 2022 the former Philadelphia Eagle recorded 11 quarterback takedowns.
There were high hopes for Randy Gregory and Chase Young who both joined the 49ers mid-season, but the two pass ruchers only registered 2.5 sacks each.
“It definitely is difficult but I think Kris just comes at us every day so it’s real easy to adjust,” Hargrave said. “Because when you’re hearing about it every day, you just learn fast.”
The 49ers added quite a few new pieces to the defensive line room, including Leonard Floyd who recorded 10.5 sacks with the Buffalo Bills in 2023. Yetur Gross-Matos can play across the line and already had a productive second practice, tackling Jordan Mason for a loss and recording a coverage sack during team drills.
San Francisco 49ers
Jordan Elliott and Maliek Collins are additions to the interior of the line that will play alongside Hargrave, helping to stop the run and get to the quarterback in place of Arik Armstead who now is with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
“For me, from this year to last year, I know that it is hard playing in this system, but basically once you get it, you kind of get it,” Hargrave said.
Kocurek and new defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen hope they all "get it" by kick-off of Week 1.