The San Francisco 49ers defense is on fire, having played inspiring football through the season's first four games. Will that continue in the remaining 13 games? We'll see. For now, there is no doubt that defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryan's squad looks like one of the best in the league.
The unit enters Week 5 ranked second in the NFL in total yards allowed, second in passing yards allowed, second in rushing yards allowed, and first in points allowed.
Sam Monson of Pro Football Focus announced his early All-Pro team, gathering the best in the league through the first four games. Of course, he has to point out that 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa is coming off a career-high 14 pressures on Monday night against the Los Angeles Rams.
"He is as unstoppable as it gets on the edge and is deserving of a spot on the early All-Pro Team," Monson notes.
In addition to his league-leading 30 quarterback pressures this season, Bosa has racked up an NFL-leading six sacks while registering 14 tackles, six tackles for a loss, and 16 quarterback hits. It's been an impressive start for the fourth-year pass rusher.
"This year, his one 'poor' game came in a monsoon in Chicago to open the season, where conditions were always going to neutralize pass-rush," Monson wrote. "He is as unstoppable as it gets on the edge."
One more 49ers defender made Monson's early All-Pro team—Talanoa Hufanga. On Monday night, the second-year safety had a game-sealing pick-six off Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford.
"Hufanga draws comparisons with Troy Polamalu because of the hair," wrote Monson, "but the more important parallel is how he's replicating Polamalu's propensity for always being around the football and consistently making plays that look like guesswork without being exposed by the gamble. Hufanga clearly has an incredible ability to apply tape study to the field in-game."
Last season, opposing quarterbacks owned a passer rating of 130.0 while targeting Hufanga. This year, that rating is 7.7, with the young safety giving up just five receptions for 41 yards and hauling in two interceptions.