Pro Football Focus isn't ignoring the fact that the San Francisco 49ers lost Pro Bowl defensive tackle DeForest Buckner this offseason. The team did, however, replace him with first-round pick Javon Kinlaw. He's one of three reasons why Ben Linsey of Pro Football Focus believes that the 49ers pass rush could be even better in 2020 than it was last season.
The 49ers' pressure rate of 39.2 percent was third in the NFL despite the team blitzing just 21.8 percent of the time, which ranked No. 27 in the league. That means the defense was able to create more pressure without needing to blitz. That was, of course, thanks to the talent comprised of Buckner, Nick Bosa, Arik Armstead, and Dee Ford. Three of those players will be returning.
Linsey believes Kinlaw can be better than Buckner and doesn't necessarily see the rookie as a significant downgrade. His production in college came with some rough technique, which defensive line coach Kris Kocurek will try to polish.
"There is a reason Kinlaw was listed as our top interior pass-rusher in the class," writes Linsey. "Kinlaw doesn't just have the freakish tools that NFL teams covet, but he also has a track record of elite pass-rushing production in the SEC."
The second reason the 49ers pass rush could be more dominant is that Bosa now has a full season under his belt. Linsey states that while rookie edge rushers rarely have great success in that first season, Bosa did, earning an overall Pro Football Focus grade of 89.8 on his way to being named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.
"He entered the NFL as a significantly more finished product than most pass-rushers," writes Linsey, "something that played a big hand in his rookie success. Still, there is a good chance that he does improve — even if only slightly — with a full season and offseason under his belt with the 49ers."
The third reason is a potentially healthy Ford. The veteran pass rusher fought through knee tendinitis and a hamstring injury last season, yet was still able to be a force when on the field.
"We were spot-on on diagnosing it in training camp," Ford told reporters in May. "I had severe tendinitis. Although it's not an ACL tear, with my position, that's a blown tire. ... I'm confident moving forward, and I feel great right now. I'm able to actually explode off of this knee.
"Thinking back on that, I can't believe I played a whole season on it. And we knew, at the end of the day, what we had to do. It had to be surgical, but I didn't want to miss the season. We had too much going on. I didn't want to miss that. It's in the bag now, though. I'm confident in that."
Linsey believes that if a healthier Ford returns to his 2018 form, it could be a significant boost for San Francisco.
"No edge defender recorded more pressures than Ford during the 2018 regular season nor did anyone at the position top his 91.1 pass-rushing grade," writes Linsey. "The 2018 season was — by all metrics — a massive leap in Ford's career, but his success in limited (and injured) action last season indicates 2018 wasn't a fluke."
Click here to read the entire feature over at Pro Football Focus, where Linsey goes into much more detail.
