49ers' interior defensive line providing reason for optimism despite significant injury setbacks
The interior of the defensive line loomed as a problem for the San Francisco 49ers even before the start of the season. As such, there was understandably great concern about how the 49ers' options in that area would fare when Pro Bowl defensive tackle Javon Hargrave went down for the season with a torn triceps […]
The interior of the defensive line loomed as a problem for the San Francisco 49ers even before the start of the season. As such, there was understandably great concern about how the 49ers' options in that area would fare when Pro Bowl defensive tackle Javon Hargrave went down for the season with a torn triceps muscle.
San Francisco had endured issues against the run while at full strength on the interior and replacing Hargrave's pass rush production figured to be a difficult task after he suffered his injury in a Week 3 defeat to the Los Angeles Rams, a game head coach Kyle Shanahan labeled the former Philadelphia Eagle's best of the season.
But after the 49er D-Line dominated the New England Patriots' offensive line, albeit one ravaged by injuries, in Week 4, there is hope San Francisco's remaining interior defensive linemen might still be able to enjoy a prosperous season.
And the man fueling those hopes is a veteran the 49ers acquired for pennies on the dollar.
Maliek Collins header
The 49ers landed Maliek Collins from the Houston Texans in exchange for a seventh-round pick, acquiring him as a replacement for Arik Armstead after releasing the previously longest-tenured player on the team, Armstead having refused to take a pay cut as part of a proposed contract restructure.
Right now, Collins is looking like an outrageous steal.
Among defensive tackles with at least five pressures this season, Collins is fourth in pressure rate (12.8%), per Sports Info Solutions. He also ranks in fifth in pass rush win rate among interior defensive linemen with a minimum of 20 pass rush snaps, according to Pro Football Focus.
Simply put, Collins is doing an excellent job of winning his one-on-ones, doing so with quickness, power and a well-refined stable of moves, including a spin move to which he also has a counter.
But Collins obviously cannot do it all by himself and, despite the loss of Hargrave, the New England was an encouraging one for the players who will be asked to provide support.
Free agent acquisition Jordan Elliott flashed promise before leaving the game with a knee injury, while Kevin Givens had 2.5 sacks to take his tally to 3.5 for the season. Givens is seventh among interior linemen in PFF pass rush grade and leads all defensive tackles with a sack rate of 7.3%, per SIS.
Week 4 also saw the 49ers excel defending the run, holding the Patriots to 73 yards on the ground. Prior to that game, however, the 49ers ranked 28th in Expected Points Added per play on run defense over the first three weeks of the season and still rank an underwhelming 25th in success rate.
There is clearly still a lot of room for improvement as it pertains to run defense, but the 49ers also have room for optimism that their performance in the area will continue to get better.
Faith in the unproven
San Francisco got 19 impressive snaps out of rookie undrafted free agent Evan Anderson in his debut against New England, displaying his space-eating abilities while also forcing a fumble. Anderson was not elevated from the practice squad for this week's matchup with the Arizona Cardinals. Still, he stands as an intriguing backup who can play a useful role in run defense this season.
Anderson's omission from the Cardinals game is likely partly down to the weather conditions forecast for Sunday, when temperatures could reach 100 degrees. The Niners opted to elevate veteran defensive tackle T.Y. McGill, who is 295 pounds. Anderson is 326. In short, McGill has the frame more suited to chasing around Kyler Murray in extreme heat.
The return of Kalia Davis to the 53-man roster probably also contributed to Anderson being left out. Davis was placed on injured reserve after the first preseason game with a knee injury that required surgery, but he was activated for the Cardinals game on Saturday.
Davis gives the 49ers another player over 300 pounds in the middle of the defense to hopefully help clog running lanes while also providing intriguing explosiveness as a pass rusher for a player of his size.
Yet the fact remains that, Collins aside, the 49ers are relying on several unproven players to get the job done on the interior line.
For the next four games, that problem, at least from a pass-rushing perspective, will be exacerbated by the absence of defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos, who was placed on injured reserve on Saturday with a knee injury. Gross-Matos had provided good value rushing off the edge and from the interior in the win over the Patriots, and his injury restricts the 49ers' flexibility up front and places more pressure on their defensive tackles.
But the 49ers have found success of late when turning to a five-man defensive line, which naturally creates one-on-one pass-rush opportunities and is a look that can be hugely beneficial in helping defenses stop the run.
With the 49ers light on edge depth but blessed with several options on the interior, more five-man fronts that feature three defensive tackles could be on the menu for San Francisco, especially given the faith the 49ers have in linebacker Fred Warner to handle the extra strain strain those looks place on him in coverage.
The losses of Hargrave and Gross-Matos are significant blows for the 49ers but, with Collins and Givens thriving and some intriguing backups at their disposal, there is cause for belief that the interior of the defensive line might not be the problem it looked set to be when Hargrave went out.
