49ers Place 7 Players in Top 100 as Fred Warner Leads at No. 16

Q: Can a new coordinator fix a defense that finished with a league-low 20 sacks, even with Nick Bosa's return from an ACL tear?

Yes — but only if the improvement is broader than simply getting Nick Bosa back. San Francisco’s 20 sacks in 2025 were not just a Bosa problem. The pass rush collapsed because Bosa tore his ACL in Week 3, Mykel Williams also suffered an ACL injury, and the defense lost too much front-line disruption. That helps explain why the 49ers still believe the unit can rebound sharply with better health alone. Raheem Morris gives them a real chance to fix it because he is not expected to run the same static approach. The 49ers have indicated he plans to vary fronts more — using three-, four- and five-man looks — and lean on new interior help from Osa Odighizuwa, plus the return of Dre Greenlaw and Fred Warner behind the line. That matters because a healthier, deeper front should create pressure more collectively rather than asking Bosa to carry everything. The key question is whether Bosa returns as an elite finisher immediately after the ACL tear. The team expects him close to full strength for Week 1, but even a healthy Bosa may not be enough if Williams is limited or if the secondary does not hold up long enough for pressures to convert into sacks. So the answer is yes, a new coordinator can fix it, but the realistic target is a competent, multiple pass rush rather than a one-man rescue. If Morris gets Bosa healthy, Odighizuwa productive inside, and Williams contributing in Year 2, the 49ers should move well beyond last year’s sack floor.

3 articles · Updated · Niners Nation · Jun 26

Fred Warner ranked No. 16 in Pete Prisco’s 2026 preseason Top 100, the highest among seven 49ers on the list despite his season-ending injury last year.
Christian McCaffrey followed at No. 19 after playing all 17 games and producing 1,202 rushing yards, 102 catches and 17 total touchdowns, underscoring why San Francisco stayed competitive through injuries.
Trent Williams climbed to No. 25, while George Kittle slid to No. 49 after an Achilles tear, Brock Purdy debuted at No. 75 after nine games, and Nick Bosa dropped to No. 94 following a Week 3 ACL injury.
San Francisco still won 13 games in 2025, beat Philadelphia in the wild-card round and lost to Seattle in the divisional round even as Warner, Kittle, Purdy, Brandon Aiyuk, Ricky Pearsall and Mykel Williams missed significant time.
That depth, plus offseason additions Mike Evans and Osa Odighizuwa and limited roster losses, leaves the 49ers entering 2026 with another Super Bowl push in view if key players return healthy.