Playing great defense in the NFL comes down to talent and scheme. 

But Steve Wilks, the new San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator, playing great defense also comes down to something intangible — relationships. 

"It starts with building relationships. I think that's a key thing with everything we do in life," Wilks said. "I think it's great to have other things to talk about outside of football. Family is important to me, and I talk to these guys about their families and their relationships away from the game."

When Wilks took over the Niners' defense, he vowed that the scheme he would run would look similar to the defense in 2022. 

Overhauling a successful scheme would be a fool's errand. 

But from a philosophical standpoint, Wilks is planning to dictate the game more than the Niners' defense did during the 2022 NFL season. 

"I don't want to be a defense that is going to sit back and react to the offense," Wilks said. "I want to be aggressive and have those guys react to us. I want to dictate the momentum of the game."

It is clear that the Niners have belief in what Wilks brings to the team. But it is also clear that Wilks has a philosophy that resonates with where San Francisco wants to go as an organization. 

In 2023, San Francisco's defense plans to play fast, and hard, and dictate the game more than it did in years prior. 

"Steve's got presence and we recognized that right away. He's got a willingness," John Lynch, San Francisco's general manager, said at the NFL Scouting Combine. "We were just the No. 1 defense in football, so we don't want to make wholesale changes, so we needed somebody who had a similar vision on how we play the game."

Wilks clearly fits the bill. 

Feature image via Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports.