SANTA CLARA — The San Francisco 49ers have just three outside linebackers on the roster. By our research, every other team in the NFL has at least four. Close to half the teams around the league carry five. It’s a valuable position Trent Baalke has decided to roll the dice with.
The most imperative names on defense this season aren’t the usual suspects: NaVorro Bowman, or Eric Reid, or even Arik Armstead.
Nope, success on defense to start the season is going to rely heavily upon Ahmad Brooks, Eli Harold, Tank Carradine (Aaron Lynch will return from suspension Week 5). Defensive coordinator Jim O’Neil’s scheme is predicated on pressuring the quarterback. Sure, O’Neil will dial up corner blitzes and will bank on defensive ends Armstead, Quinton Dial and DeForest Buckner to push the pocket.
But if the 49ers are not organically pressuring the quarterback, holes in the boat will start to sprout leaks. It’ll put strain on the secondary, where many of the players will be fighting one-on-one islands against a receiver. It’ll extend drives and crush momentum. It’ll be the reason this young defense doesn’t make a leap like many are predicting.
Is there reason to believe these pass rushing fears are just journalistic anxiety? Maybe. But they say proof is in the pudding, and were still waiting for the pudding to appear for this unit.
The 32-year-old Brooks has had between 6.0 and 8.5 sacks for six straight seasons. You know exactly what you’re getting with him; a solid but no longer spectacular pro. It’s Harold and Carradine who are the wild cards, both totally unproven.
Harold said he put on 20 pounds in the offseason to give him a more physical presence against tackles. But Harold was drafted in part because of his speed and the extra weight will likely make him a step slower. Drafted in the second-round as a defensive lineman, Carradine was given a one-year extension earlier this week — before even debuting at his new position. The problem is that O’Neil has touted him as more of edge setter in the run game than a relentless quarterback chaser.
O’Neil didn’t deny there is pressure on this unit. Practice squad member Marcus Rush, who is coming off an unheard of six sack preseason, is waiting in the wings if one of these guys isn’t performing.
“I’ll be shocked if he’s on the practice squad all year,” O’Neil said, insinuating he fought with Baalke for Rush to be on the active roster.
Even with an injured Ian Wiliams, the 49ers are pretty deep on the defensive line. They have bodies to stop the run. Jimmie Ward’s rapid development has the secondary sitting pretty. The back end shouldn’t be a weakness on this team. The 49ers think they can win games with their defense. They aren’t totally wrong coming to that conclusion.
But the one element to this 49ers team everyone seems to be ignoring is the pass rush. You can’t just snap your fingers and knock the quarterback on his ass. You need talented stallions to go out and hunt.
If Brooks, Harold and Carradine are whiffing and coming up short, the domino effect is going to be real on defense. Baalke added Zane Beadles to beef up the offensive line but he refused to address his pass rushing situation through some sort of help via free agency. Remember that if Harold and Carradine don’t move the needle in 2016.
