49ers Midseason Report Card: Who Gets an ‘A’ on Defense?

Eight weeks have gone by in a flash as we have officially hit the halfway point of the 2022 regular season. Going into the bye week with a win is exactly what the San Francisco 49ers needed, able to recharge and attack the NFC West at 4-4 coming out of the break.

It hasn’t been an easy road for the Red & Gold so far, losing numerous starters on both the offense and defense along the way. The biggest of them all was to quarterback Trey Lance, suffering a right ankle fracture Week 2 that effectively ended his sophomore campaign. Luckily the 49ers had a contingency plan in place with Jimmy Garoppolo retaking the helm to lead the team to a .500 record going into the back half of the season.

Before we get ahead go ourselves and look at the team’s next matchup (the Los Angeles Chargers), now is a better time than ever to reflect on the state of the team. Who’s flashing potential? Who’s taken a step back this year? How many running backs is too many?

The answer: Five, made apparent by the Jeff Wilson Jr. trade Tuesday.

All jokes aside, it’s time to grab your notebooks people, because we’re going back to school. Take a look at the midseason report card for the 2022 49ers offense.

Defensive Linemen

Nick Bosa: A+

Nick Bosa has been exactly the player he was envisioned to be when the 49ers drafted him second overall in 2019: One of the best defensive players in the NFL.

Through the first eight weeks, Bosa has been one of the leaders at getting after the quarterbacks, tied for first with 8.5 sacks this season. He is also at the top of his field in pressures, pressure percentage, and win rate in 2022.

He’s the catalyst for the 49ers pass rush, outranking the second on the team by five whole sacks. A preseason candidate for defensive player of the year, Bosa is still at the top of the list for the category.

Only health can stop this man, seriously.

Samson Ebukam: B+

One of the biggest surprises of 2022, Ebukam has been great opposite of Bosa this season. Ranking second on the team in sacks (3.5), the former LA Ram has added versatility and defensive leadership in the trenches. He also has 29 total tackles, five TFLs and five QB hits to round out a solid 2022 performance thus far.

Getting 4.5 sacks his first season in San Francisco, Ebukam is in line for a nice payday going into free agency next spring.

Javon Kinlaw: C+

This a tough one because as much of a force Kinlaw is on the interior, the problem has always been staying on the field for him. Unable to take a snap since Week 3, the former South Carolina Gamecock has a mere two tackles in three games.

Yikes.

With injuries placing him on short-term IR for the moment, we’ll be kind and give him a passing grade.

Arik Armstead: B-

Another tough grade because he hasn’t been on the field. But the few times he has you can feel the difference.

Only appearing in three games thus far, the Sacramento native has five combined tackles and one TFL. His impact is felt in the overall team stats: When he’s on the field for the 49ers, the team has allowed 64 rushing yards per game, on average, and only one touchdown. In the four games prior to Week 8, San Francisco allowed 111 rushing yards a game and six TDs on the ground.

A staggering contrast that warrants giving Armstead a higher grade for the year. Unfortunately, he can’t stay on the field, missing the last five contests with various foot and ankle injuries.

Similar to Kinlaw, when he plays it’s impactful, but that’s when he plays.

Shining Star: Drake Jackson

414 to 175: That’s the ratio of snaps between Detroit Lions rookie DE Aidan Hutchinson and 49ers rookie Drake Jackson so far this season. And yet, Jackson only has one and a half fewer sacks (3) than his counterpart (4.5).

To put it bluntly, the 49ers got a steal in the second round by drafting the USC product, one of the most agile defensive linemen the team has ever had. His closing speed from point A to B is unreal, able to track down ball carriers that get to the outside with ease.

Jackson also has two pass breakups, 10 combined tackles, five QB hits and two TFLs in limited action. Stuck behind Ebukam on the depth chart, for the time being, this 21-year-old has a lot of potential, making him one of the shining stars of the entire unit.

Linebackers

Fred Warner: A-

The captain of the defense, BYU’s Fred Warner has been one of the few constants in the defense this season.

Starring in all eight games, Warner has 62 combined tackles, four QB hits, three pass breakups and two TFLs. A man all over the field, the BYU product stalks his prey like he’s the protagonist in Predator, launching full speed at ball carriers.

Week 8’s contest was a prime example of that, spearing running back Ronnie Rivers on a diving tackle over another player.

His only gripe came in Week 7’s embarrassment to Kansas City, getting outplayed by Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs’ explosive offense. But even still, Warner is as elite as it comes, looking for his first Pro Bowl appearance since 2020. And at this rate, he probably gets it.

Dre Greenlaw: B

Another player known for his tackling chops, Greenlaw has had an up-and-down 2022 season.

Starting out the year with a couple of games under his expected average, Greenlaw picked it up in Weeks 3, 4, and 5, registering 36 tackles combined in the three-week span. However, the last few weeks have seen a regression to the mean, with only nine tackles before coming out of Week 7 with a calf injury that forced him to miss Week 8.

Regardless, he’s still an above-average linebacker that earned a nice payday this season and fits the 49ers’ speed scheme perfectly.

Azeez Al-Shaair: N/A

Suffering an MCL sprain in Week 3 in Denver, Al-Shaair landed on the injured reserve with an eye on returning post-bye week in Week 10 against the LA Chargers.

In these three games, the sub-linebacker has 11 combined tackles.

Most Underrated: Fred Warner

Cornerbacks

Charvarius Ward: A-

Easily the best free agent signing of the offseason for San Francisco, “Mooney” Ward has been a revelation in the secondary.

Through the first five weeks of the season, Ward accumulated eight PBUs on opposing wideouts, among the top of the league at the time. The problem: He got hurt. Injuring his groin in Week 6 in Atlanta, Mooney hasn’t looked fully healthy since, getting burnt a few times by his former team (the Chiefs) in Week 7.

Despite the downswing in production, Ward is still 31st in targets (38) this season and is sporting a 78.5 overall grade, via Pro Football Focus.

Signing a three-year, $40.5 million deal in the offseason, Mooney has been worth every penny so far.

Emmanuel Moseley: B

“E-Man” was on his way to a huge payday after the 2022 season before he suffered a torn ACL in the closing moments of Week 5 in Carolina.

Before that, Moseley had five PBUs, 22 combined tackles, and one TFL.

The injury sucks, but hopefully, E-Man has shown enough to warrant the Red & Gold bringing him back in 2023.

Look Ahead: Jason Verrett

Spending the last year on IR recovering from a torn ACL in Week 1 of the 2021 season, Verrett finally looks set to make his debut in Week 10 against his former team, the Chargers.

If he can come back and be at the minimum, serviceable, the 49ers will be even better on the defensive front. If he shows flashes of his former Pro Bowl self, San Francisco has another tandem of lockdown corners going into the postseason.

Safeties

Talanoa Hufanga: A

The other shining star, second-year Talanoa Hufanga, has been the biggest revelation for the 49ers, merely upon circumstance.

With free safety Jimmie Ward out to start the year (hamstring), Hufanga had huge shoes to fill in his first season as a starter. So far, he’s exceeded all expectations the organization set out for him.

Through eight games, “Huff” has three INTs, six PBUs, 48 combined tackles, five TFLs and one sack for good measure.

His play has slipped off a little bit, missing tackles the last few weeks that went for bigger gains. Regardless, the USC product has taken after his idol, Troy Polamalu, and adapted his persona on the field, running around like a missile coming out of a silo.

He’s the team’s most improved player for a reason, a real savant of the game.

Tashaun Gipson Sr.: B+

Another surprise in the 49ers’ secondary, is veteran Tashaun Gipson Sr. having gas left in the tank.

Picked up off the street during training camp, the former Pro Bowl safety has taken ownership of DeMeco Ryans’ backline alongside Huff, forming one of the best safety combos in the league.

At the ripe age of 32, Gipson has 28 combined tackles, two PBUs, one QB hit and one INT in all eight games this season.

He had his worst game of the season in LA last week, putting up blanks on the stat sheet. A bad game was bound to happen though, it’s more surprising how quickly he was able to learn the defense and excel in it.

That’s a win in my book.

Work in Progress: Jimmie Ward

Now for Jimmie Ward.

A clear difference-maker when he’s fully healthy, that’s been the problem all year: Health. Suffering a significant hamstring injury in the preseason, Ward came back in Week 5 to break his hand on the opening kickoff. Out two more weeks, the veteran safety is playing with a soft cast over the hand, and he isn’t even playing in his natural position.

Due to a lack of secondary depth, Jimmie has been playing nickel-corner, a role he hasn’t played his whole career. It showed his first game back against the Chiefs, getting beat by their speed guys the whole day. Week 8 against the Rams was a lot better, holding Cooper Kupp to one catch for six yards in the second half.

It’s a new position for a player looking to get paid handsomely after the season, so for now, it’s a work in progress on Ward’s performance this season.

Follow @AmilianoFragoso

Newsletter