DeMeco Ryans seems to be fitting in perfectly so far as the 49ers' new defensive coordinator, although that should come as no surprise given his previous NFL experience.
Ryans, 36, played ten seasons in the league as a linebacker for the Houston Texans (2006-2011) and Philadelphia Eagles (2012-2015) after being selected by the Texans at pick 33 in Round 2 of the 2006 NFL Draft. After a career that saw him total 814 tackles, 13.5 sacks, and two Pro Bowl selections, Ryans began his coaching career as a quality control coach with the 49ers in 2017 and has since gone through a quick rise to defensive coordinator after serving as the inside linebackers coach the past three seasons. The fact that Ryans has a wealth of NFL experience and isn't far removed from his playing days means he's been adjusting to his new role rather easily since taking over for former coordinator Robert Saleh in January.
"Being in their shoes before, I feel like it's been a natural transition for me, and it's been easy to relate to our players and help them, not only on the field but off the field as well," Ryans told reporters on Wednesday.
49ers players have enjoyed their early time with Ryans, due in large part to what they have in common with their new coordinator. Saleh drew frequent praise from his players before moving on to become head coach of the New York Jets, but he never played football past college. Ryans' NFL playing experience clearly is something his players appreciate.
"It's been good," cornerback Jason Verrett said Wednesday. "DeMeco has played in this league... so he knows what it takes as a defensive player to know what it takes in the league. He's doing a hell of a job getting the guys up front because he knows it starts up front and ends in the back end. It's been fun so far being out there with a guy who's obviously played in the league and knows a lot of the ins and outs of football, so it's very relatable for us."
The term "player's coach" came up a couple of times on Wednesday, first from safety Jimmie Ward. Like Verrett, Ward is a fan of the experience factor and also likes the fact Ryans is trying to simplify things on defense.
"He played a long time in the NFL, so he's a player's coach," Ward said. "Great guy. He's trying to make it way more simple for us too with some of the calls, and I feel like it's working. I feel like we're able to play fast -- even faster than last year, if it can get any faster. Right now, I feel like he's doing an outstanding job."
Edge rusher Samson Ebukam also used the "player's coach" label on Wednesday, while telling reporters that Ryans is already commanding a good amount of respect.
"Definitely a player's coach," Ebukam said. "He listens to what the players have to say and he adapts to it. At the same time, he's got a controlling voice. Everybody respects us in the room. We know he's looking out for our best interests. He's putting us in the best situation to be successful. It's definitely awesome just to listen to him talk."
As far as other ways he'll differ from Saleh, Ryans said Wednesday he expects the 49ers to play more aggressively on defense under his command. Verrett says the added aggression is already starting to show up at practice.
"For sure. I feel like we're showcasing that out there so far," Verrett said. "I think the D-Line is doing a hell of a job hunting up front. The secondary, all the young guys are playing and swarming around the field. So we're definitely trying to show that so far in camp and hopefully we can roll that over to the season."
Time will tell how the 49ers perform on defense under Ryans and if he's able to improve on the fine performance put on by his predecessor. But Wednesday won't be the last time Ryans is referred to as a player's coach, because one thing he's made very clear so far is that the players will always be his first priority.
"At the end of the day, it's all about the players for me," Ryans said. "It's all about the players and what can they do? Not only what can they do, but what can they excel at, at a very high level to where they're not overthinking things. They're able to have their cleats in the ground so to speak and ready to play as fast as possible. That's one thing I've coaching for the past couple years. No matter what I know or what I want to do, it's all about what the players can absorb and what can they go out and execute on the field."
