The San Francisco 49ers suffered a devastating blow to the defensive line depth this week, as defensive tackle Javon Hargrave has suffered a partially torn triceps that will require surgery, likely sidelining him for the remainder of the 2024 season.
With limited depth along the interior of their defensive front, the 49ers may need to rotate players like Jordan Elliott and Kevin Givens to fill the new void alongside Maliek Collins.
"We mixed it up throughout the year," head coach Kyle Shanahan said on Wednesday. "I thought our D-line last week affected the quarterback the most that they had in their three games. I thought they had one of their better games, but it's a huge loss, losing Javon.
"Guys are going to have to step it up, and when you don't have the rush, then you've got to turn to other things, schematically."
Linebacker Fred Warner acknowledged the difficulty of losing Hargrave but believes the depth at the position is stronger than many realize.
"Obviously, Javon is a huge part of what we do up front and had a great game," Warner said. "I feel like he was continuing to ascend, and then he gets injured. So, it's a next-man-up mentality. Guys are going to have to step up into that role. Luckily, we have depth at the position, so we just got to keep moving."
Warner expressed confidence in Elliott and Givens, noting his eagerness to see their contributions this season.
Additionally, Kalia Davis could become a viable option later in the season. He underwent knee surgery in August and was expected to miss the first half of the season.
"We have a lot of depth at that position and excited for the guys who are coming back," defensive end Nick Bosa said. "K.D. will be really important. Then, yeah, Jordan and Kevin should step up."
Regarding Elliott, Bosa said, "I think he fits the scheme really well. He played in Cleveland on the number one defense last year, so he got a good taste of what it's like to play in this type of scheme. So he's comfortable and he's massive, which is a little different for our interior guys, but it's always good if you could be big and explosive like he is."
Shanahan acknowledged that Hargrave's absence will complicate the team's efforts to defend against opposing rushing attacks.
"When you have four inside guys on your roster, and then you go down to three, it always makes it tougher to stop the run," Shanahan said. "But we got guys on practice squad that we need. We'll see how that works out as this week goes. And you've got to think of other fronts too, and stuff that we got to do at times. So, a lot of stuff plays into that."
