The 49ers made moves to improve their secondary this offseason after that unit struggled with injuries and depth beginning in training camp last year. New additions and some familiar names have San Francisco’s pass defense in line to take a significant jump this year, and Pro Football Focus ranked them No. 16 in the NFL, near the top of its “ascending units” tier.
Having a middle-of-the-pack secondary is actually a good goal for the 49ers given how the rest of their defense is constructed. They’re built from the defensive line back, and their linebackers dominate the middle of the field in coverage. The effectiveness of the front seven takes a lot of the onus off the secondary.
A 49ers secondary that ranks in the middle of the NFL means San Francisco has a Super Bowl caliber defense. If their new-look group with Charvarius Ward roaming on one side can inch its way into the top-10, the 49ers could have the best defense in the league.
