This may sound obvious, especially for a team that spends as much capital and effort on the position, but the 49ers’ defensive line is really, really good. We knew it all the way back in the preseason when the position looked so log-jammed that one or more good players might have to hit the bricks, and we still know it after 18 weeks of regular-season games. It’s the team’s philosophy, their identity, and their North Star.
They’ve absolutely carried a defense that has trotted out rookies and Josh Norman at cornerback on a week-to-week basis by supplying a steady stream of pressure on opposing quarterbacks.