What will new DC Raheem Morris bring to the 49ers’ defense?
“The Niners’ fifth coordinator in as many years, Morris has been something of a chameleon coordinator, having experience leading defenses of multiple philosophies, fronts and coverages. His words and history suggest he prefers to tailor his scheme to his players rather than trying to fit square pegs in round holes…..
….Given the personnel in place, however, Morris doesn’t sound like he’s planning to veer way off course from the traditional four-man fronts the Niners have favored under previous defensive coordinators Robert Saleh and DeMeco Ryans.
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San Francisco traded for Odighizuwa specifically to fill a need for a pass-rushing 3-technique defensive tackle and drafted Gracen Halton to play a similar role. The curveball, however, might come from third-round pick Romello Height.
Height is listed at 6-foot-2, 239 pounds and played on the edge at Texas Tech. The 49ers haven’t traditionally used smaller rushers under Shanahan, but it’s not difficult to connect the dots from Height to players like the Rams’ Byron Young and Atlanta’s Jalon Walker in terms of how Morris might use him to change things up.”
49ers 90-in-90: Is Mykel Williams in for a significant jump in 2026?
“The one thing we knew about Williams was his ability to slow down the run. That was evident in 2025, but the 49ers need his pass-rushing ability to take a jump. The flashes were there, but Williams needs to consistently be able to get after the quarterback in 2026. Any jump from Williams makes the 49ers’ pass rush downright scary. The realistic expectation should include some grace since the former Georgia EDGE rusher is recovering from an ACL injury.”
49ers win-loss record: Writer predicts step back for San Francisco in 2026
“In recent years, the 49ers have seemed to be a few injuries away from disaster,” Moton wrote. “They’re healthy enough to get the benefit of the doubt right now. Yet we should factor in the shaky availability of older veterans on the roster when projecting the team’s win-loss record on a travel meter of over 38,000 miles in the upcoming season.”
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