Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
How much will the 49ers defense change in transition from DeMeco Ryans to Steve Wilks?
The San Francisco 49ers saw significant roster turnover this offseason, as franchise stalwart Jimmie Ward and key starter Mike McGlinchey departed in free agency, amongst others.
However, that wasn't the only area of change. The 49ers saw defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans depart to the Houston Texans, leaving the team with a vacancy at the position for the second time in recent history.
Rather than go with an up-and-coming coach, as they did with Ryans and former defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, the 49ers hired longtime coach Steve Wilks, who most recently served as the interim head coach for the Carolina Panthers.
Wilks shares a different background than San Francisco's prior coordinators, sharing extensive history as a secondary aficionado, rather than a focus towards the front seven, where Ryans and Saleh have excelled en route to becoming head coaches in the NFL.
Additionally, Wilks has deployed several defensive packages during his career as a defensive coordinator, including a 3-3-5 front while with the Missouri Tigers in 2019, raising questions as to what could change with the 49ers schematically upon the respected coach's arrival.
According to defensive end
Nick Bosa, there shouldn't be much change with the defensive fronts, which was a goal for the team upon their search for a new coordinator.
"I don't think there's going to be much of a change," Bosa told Tori Epstein of Yahoo Sports, via Pro Football Talk. "I think from Kyle [Shanahan] down, there's kind of an understanding of how we do things with Kris Kocurek as our D-line coach. There's always ways to improve."
Bosa's comments are in sentiment with head coach Kyle Shanahan, who shared that the team wanted to keep the same infrastructure in place with their defense, understanding the significant success they've shared over the past few seasons.
"I love our defensive staff, I love our defense. I'm trying to get something where we don't have to turn much over. I would love to keep our same staff, so I'm going to talk to some guys on our staff," Shanahan said in February, prior to hiring Wilks. "I'm going to talk to some guys outside of our staff and hopefully whichever way we decide to go, whether we bring in a new guy or not, that it's someone who can work with who we have and what we've accomplished here because I love the scheme that we run and I feel the foundation we have on the D-line, at linebacker, at corner, at safety. I think our players fit very well in it too, so I'm hoping to find someone who fits with us personality-wise and scheme-wise."
However, even with the comments, I would expect some change in the defensive scheme, understanding Wilks's focus toward the secondary and his tendency to blitz at prior locations, which differs a bit from the previous regimes.
While operating out of the same fronts, it wouldn't be surprising to see the 49ers be more aggressive within their front seven, especially after a "down" year in terms of sack rate compared to their elite 2019 and 2021 seasons.
Related News
The opinions within this article are those of the writer and, while just as important, are not necessarily those of the site as a whole.
Nobody's perfect. Did you find a mistake in this article?
Report it.
LISTEN
Facebook Comments
More San Francisco 49ers News
49ers' Dre Greenlaw recovering from finger procedure, hopes to be a more involved blitzer under Steve Wilks
Dre Greenlaw underwent a minor procedure after last season on his finger. The San Francisco 49ers linebacker is still working his way through the recovery process. That's why he's not with his teammates during organized team activities (OTAs).
"Yeah, nothing major," Greenlaw said Thursday on KNBR's Papa & Lund show. "Just a little clean up in the thumb. [It] was giving me some problems, just whenever I was punching at the ball or whenever I had to use my hands on O-linemen. [My] finger was just really jammed up, so I just had to get it cleaned up and fixed.
"It's going really well right now, so I'm just waiting, I guess. Now, I think they're going to keep me out of OTAs for the most part, just because you don't want any setbacks right now. But it's
Arik Armstead talks Steve Wilks, Nick Bosa, Javon Hargrave, and 49ers' QB situation
Arik Armstead is looking forward to the upcoming season. There is a lot to look forward to. His San Francisco 49ers have been to the NFC Championship Game three times over the past four seasons. They once again have a competitive roster and look to make another run at a Super Bowl championship.
Armstead joined Adam Schefter on the ESPN insider's podcast, discussing several 49ers-related topics.
New defensive coordinator Steve Wilks
Steve Wilks replaces DeMeco Ryans as defensive coordinator. Armstead had nothing but praise for his former coordinator, who left to be the Houston Texans' head coach, but looks forward to working with Wilks.
Wilks isn't expected to make any drastic changes in his first season helming the 49ers defense.
Isaiah Oliver analyzes Trey Lance, Sam Darnold, his fit in the 49ers defense
New San Francisco 49ers cornerback Isaiah Oliver is coming from the Atlanta Falcons. While in the NFC South, he's faced quarterback Sam Darnold, now his teammate.
The 49ers are in their second week of organized team activities (OTAs), and Oliver has had a chance this offseason to get a good look at Darnold and third-year quarterback Trey Lance during practices. So what has he taken away from going against the two former No. 3 overall draft picks?
"I mean, they're both really good quarterbacks," Oliver told reporters on Wednesday. "Obviously, I've played against Sam a few times. I haven't played against Trey before, so just kind of seeing him [for the first time]. But yeah, they're both just real athletic guys. I feel like a lot of people don't respect that
Podcast: 49ers OTAs Day 1 recap
By Rohan Chakravarthi
May 24
Rohan Chakravarthi and Jessie Naylor break down Day 1 of the San Francisco 49ers OTAs that was available to media.
The audio for the show is embedded above, while the video is available below.
You can listen to "The Rohan Chakravarthi Show" from our dedicated podcast page, on