SANTA CLARA – Roster-rattling changes on the 49ers’ defensive line won’t stop what new coordinator Nick Sorensen called their “bread and butter,” a four-man pass rush.
No. 1 on that front is Nick Bosa. He is the unit’s longest-tenured player, and the 49ers are in a perpetual search to find the best combination to maximize his production as he enters his sixth season.
Cue: Training camp.
Retooling the defensive line is a top priority for the 49ers when they report July 23. And that is where we start our camp previews to outline each position group:
WHO’S HERE
Defensive ends: Nick Bosa, Leonard Floyd, Yetur Gross-Matos, Drake Jackson, Robert Beal Jr., Alex Barrett, Austin Bryant, Sam Okuayinonu
Defensive tackles: Javon Hargrave, Maliek Collins, Jordan Elliott, Kevin Givens, Kalia Davis, T.Y. McGill, Shakel Brown, Evan Anderson
CAMP BOSA
Bosa bypassed training camp last year amid a contract holdout that finally ended two days before the season opener. “Last year was kind of tough getting thrown in Week 1 after a walk-through (practice),” Bosa said upon reporting to May’s mandatory minicamp.
Training camp offers Bosa a chance to refine his skills in one-on-one matchups with All-Pro Trent Williams, not to mention the reciprocal lessons right tackle Colton McKivitz might get. Last season as the NFL’s highest-paid defender, Bosa registered 10 ½ sacks in the regular season, none in the Super Bowl, but he had two in the NFC Championship Game win to match his single-game high for 2023. More practice time could yield more sacks.
“I mean, he’s one of the best in the league and he was, you know, (2022) Defensive Player of the Year for a reason,” Sorensen said of Bosa at his May introductory press conference. “A lot of the stuff that gets overlooked is how he plays in the run game. He’s real physical”
NEW WINGMEN
Eight-year veteran Floyd brings a slender frame that represents the 49ers’ best complement off the edge opposite Bosa. Gross-Matos could be a diamond in the rough, having fled the Carolina Panthers. Those two newcomers aside, the 49ers are banking on one or two of their holdovers to ascend and solidify depth. Adding yet another veteran for camp wouldn’t be a surprise. Otherwise, the 49ers could be scouring the trade market yet again, just as they did last October to bring in Chase Young and Randy Gregory.
INSIDE JOB
Arik Armstead’s poise and “blueprint” leadership will be missed, especially on the interior. But injuries sidelined him 13 games over the past two seasons, and that afforded opportunities for Givens, Davis and McGill to integrate into Kris Kocurek’s rotation. Javon Hargrave is the luxury asset at defensive tackle. The 49ers needed to replace Armstead (Jaguars) as well as 2020 top pick Javon Kinlaw (Jets), who often played high with respective frames at 6-foot-7 and 6-5. The new-look, lower-based interior welcomes in the 6-2 Collins (ninth year) and 6-4 Elliott (fifth year).
ACTION FROM JACKSON?
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Drake Jackson was the 49ers’ top draft pick two years ago. He’s yet to start a game, and he played only the first eight games last season. But he had three sacks in the opener in Pittsburgh, creating false hope of what he could do in 2023. He’s spent all offseason recovering from knee surgery. How patient will the 49ers be for Jackson’s re-entry to action? They don’t have hot-shot candidates pushing for his roster spot.
NET WIN FOR GROSS-MATOS
Touted for his versatility to shift inside on passing downs, Gross-Matos (6-foot-5, 265 pounds) could be more than just this year’s version of a Charles Omenihu or an Arden Key (two players who made the most of their versatility to recharge their careers). Gross-Matos had just 13 sacks in 55 games for the Panthers as a 2020 second-round pick; he had 17 ½ in his final 25 games at Penn State. A hamstring injury kept him out for five games in the middle of last season, so his health should be monitored in camp.
