The San Francisco 49ers will switch to a new defense in 2017, going with the 4-3 hybrid style that the Seattle Seahawks have implemented to great success. Gus Bradley took a version of that to the Jacksonville Jaguars, and Dan Quinn has done the same with the Atlanta Falcons. Kyle Shanahan’s decision to hire Robert Saleh as defensive coordinator adds a new team using some version of this defense.
One of the premium roles in the scheme is the Leo defensive end. The person in this role is generally going to be the best pass rusher on the team.