SANTA CLARA — The 49ers’ defense likes to play with a mantra. “All gas, no brakes” was former defensive coordinator Robert Saleh’s marching order. In Saleh’s place, DeMeco Ryans had to come up with a mantra of his own.
Out came “Special work ethic and relentless mindset.” Or “SWARM”, pronounced like “swarm” — a fitting term to characterize this relentless 49ers defense that could be even more impressive than their 2019 Super Bowl team.
During camp, the best defensive player of the day is given a SWARM Award. And the award is no joke. Guys keep a leaderboard and boast bragging rights. And the clear winners, as identified by Ryans, this summer speak volumes about this team: Fred Warner, Nick Bosa and Kerry Hyder Jr.
The first two come as no surprise — Warner, the defensive captain, has tallied the most awards. Bosa, in line to be Defensive Player of the Year, ranks close behind. That Hyder, a journeyman lineman, was mentioned shows us how deep the defense runs with difficult cuts to make in mere hours. Particularly on the defensive line, where they are expected to carry 10 players.
“If you’re making tough decisions, that means your team is in a really good place and we’ve had a very competitive camp,” Ryans said. “We’ve had tough roster battles. And these guys are competing, but they’ve helped each other. And that’s been cool to be a part of. Nobody is talking about the battles or fighting for this and that. Guys are just genuinely looking to help each other.”
Maybe Hyder, who is potentially on the cusp, wins one of those spots with so many fans on the coaching staff, including defensive line coach Kris Kocurek, who urged the 49ers to bring Hyder to San Francisco in 2020 after Bosa’s ACL tear.
“It’s good competition everywhere,” Hyder said. “We know there are a lot of hard decisions to be made, but as a group we bonded and competed with each other. We pushed each other in camp. That’s going to make us better individually and make the team better.”
A few spots are essentially guaranteed, like Samson Ebukam. In his second year with San Francisco, 27-year-old Ebukam is first on the depth chart to take Dee Ford’s place at left defensive end. Ebukam played primarily outside linebacker in his four seasons with the Los Angeles Rams. With the Niners, he’s back in his comfort zone pressuring the quarterback.
Drake Jackson could challenge that starter role. He’s looked like a steal of this spring’s draft. Picked 61st overall out of USC, Jackson’s draft value plummeted with inconsistent play, perhaps due to USC moving him to different positions under a variety of defensive coordinators.
An athletic and strong end like Jackson could be a perfect fit in San Francisco’s defensive scheme. He stole the show early on in preseason, recording three tackles.
The Bosa Show should pull the spotlight back to the other side of the line. The 24-year-old put up 15.5 sacks last year in his return from a 2020 ACL tear. Consider that a warning, a preamble to what could be an even more spectacular year.
But Bosa can’t play every snap, and the 49ers need some insurance behind him. Charles Omenihu, Jordan Willis and Kemeko Turey provide plenty of depth behind Bosa — though they may not be able to keep them all.
Omenihu, acquired from Houston last November, made his name with the team on the playoff stage against the Dallas Cowboys, where he forced a fumble and sacked quarterback Dak Prescott 1.5 times. In his homecoming preseason loss to Houston, Omenihu had a sack and three tackles.
Fans know Willis, acquired from the Jets in 2020, best for his game-winning blocked punt against the Green Bay Packers in the playoff divisional round.
The interior is strong behind Arik Armstead and Javon Kinlaw. But with Kinlaw’s injury history early in his career, depth is essential. The 49ers have Kevin Givens and Hassan Ridgeway to juggle, perhaps with Ridgeway more on the cusp.
A swarm of talent, indeed.
“If you have potential, that’s great,” Hyder said. “But potential can only get you so far. We set ourselves up with a great camp and we’re hoping that carries over into the next season.”
Source: www.mercurynews.com