Four or five. Or maybe six.
Another out in the route or held in.
There are three things every quarterback needs: time, good pass catchers, and a good running game.
That first set of numbers above refers to how many players a team must use to get pressure on the quarterback. If they can do it with their four down linemen, they can drop seven into coverage. When you have three wide receivers, a tight end, and a running back going out on routes, that's five, and that means two can be double-covered. If a safety can take away the deep shot, the linebackers and the other safety can run to the checkdown. That means smaller chunks of yardage, fewer first downs, and more punts.
If four are rushing, and they are getting pressure off the edge, the offense may have to hold back the tight end to chip one of the defensive ends, or a running back might have to remain in the backfield for max protection. He might have to do the same if the rush is coming up the middle. That means a checkdown is less available, and a deep pass is often out of the question.
The 49ers saw that a lot this year. Brock Purdy holds the ball longer than any quarterback in the league. It isn't that Brock just loves to hold onto the ball. There is a reason a quarterback does so: no one is open.
The pattern becomes 1) the secondary is blanketing the receivers, 2) the defensive line is getting pressure, and 3) the quarterback has to scramble and throw the ball away or take a short checkdown. Because Purdy is athletic and able to escape sacks frequently, the checkdown was often there—but for limited yardage.
But if the defense has to rush five, there are fewer defenders to cover three receivers and a tight end. Even if the blitz gets some pressure, a quick slant to a speedy receiver can pick up big yardage because there are fewer linebackers in the center of the field. If a back is available for a checkdown, there is often more yardage gained after the catch.
The 49ers saw this with their own defense. Due to their two starting defensive ends being injured, they generated no pass rush with four, and opposing quarterbacks had months to throw. There is a football adage: cornerbacks can't cover forever. Their corners are not terrible (though they should draft one this year), but opposing quarterbacks had a lot of time to read the field and wait for a receiver to get open.
Robert Saleh, the defensive coordinator, had to dial up blitzes to get pressure, but that can only be done so often. And again, the 49ers defense saw the opposing offenses adjust and make us pay.
A similar dynamic is present in the running game. If four defensive linemen can control the line of scrimmage, the linebackers and a strong safety have holes to run through and tackle the running back before he can hit a crease.
Christian McCaffrey is one of the best backs in the league, but he averaged under four yards per carry. There were 38 ball carriers better than that. Twelve of those were backups, and two were quarterbacks. Read that again: 38 players were gaining more yards per carry than the Offensive Player of the Year from just two seasons ago.
He had no holes to run through.
When a defense brings eight into the box to stop the run, they are—to use the common phrase—"daring the quarterback" to beat them. Brock Purdy can do that. But if the opposing team can stick with seven—and sometimes gets away with only six—there just won't be people to throw to.
The Niners need to draft a wide receiver this offseason (or sign one in free agency, though that might be pricey), but even if they do, it comes down to those numbers up front. They need people who can stone the defensive linemen. The Seahawks have a first-rate D-line and often rush only four. The Niners need to make them rush five.
San Francisco's defensive line needs to be able to rush four and get pressure, but some of that will be helped when defensive ends Nick Bosa and Mykel Williams return from injury. The 49ers should still address the issue in the draft, but there is not the urgency there is with the offensive line.
Right now, the Niners have only seven draft picks, and four of those are on Day 3. General manager John Lynch has been excellent on Day 3, though. Tight end George Kittle, linebacker Dre Greenlaw, wide receiver Jauan Jennings, safety Talanoa Hufanga, linebacker Dee Winters, and, of course, the steal of the last decade, Brock Purdy, were all Day 3 picks. But with only seven, Lynch is going to have to make every pick count.
Last year looks to have been a good draft year, but in 2026, at least three more need to be starter-quality, and two of those need to be game-changers. That is a tall order.