Since taking over in January of 2017, Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch have made it no secret that they believe in prioritizing building a stout defensive line capable of harassing opposing quarterbacks. We saw this team-building philosophy fuel a Super Bowl berth in 2019, as an incredibly talented roster was objectively driven by one of the best front fours that the NFL has ever seen.
Unfortunately, nothing lasts forever in this league, and the high octane defensive line that led to so much success was bound to lose some pieces over time. That played out much sooner than anyone would have liked, as quickly half of this once-dominant unit was no longer a part of the equation.