‘This D-line is crazy’: 49ers deep up front
The attention paid to the 49ers’ top two quarterbacks Sunday night largely obscured this: the pounding absorbed by the Chargers’ two quarterbacks.
The depth of the defensive line was showcased in a 15-10 win in Los Angeles as the 49ers had 11 tackles for losses, the most by any team in Week 2 of the preseason, along with five sacks and eight quarterback hits, which tied for the second most. Trophies aren’t distributed after exhibition games, but the 49ers’ domination in the trenches bodes well for a team that strives to keep its linemen fresh by rotating them frequently.
“This D-line is crazy,” defensive tackle Kentavius Street said.
The quality of the 49ers’ backups was particularly evident in the game’s latter stages, when the field was dotted with third- and fourth-stringers destined for pink slips. In the second half, the Chargers had zero points, five first downs, 43 yards and averaged 1.4 yards on seven carries. Their first six second-half possessions featured five punts and an interception before they ran two plays — and lost 9 yards — as time
expired.
The penultimate play neatly captured the mismatch: Street, who is very likely to make the 53-man roster, whizzed past left guard Kyle Spalding, an undrafted rookie from San Diego State, and dropped Chase Daniel for a sack. On the next snap, Street split a double team from Spalding and left tackle Trey Pipkins, a 2019 third-round pick, and pressured Daniel.
Previously, defensive end Jordan Willis beat Pipkins to sack Easton Stick for a safety. Willis also forced Pipkins into a holding penalty. After Pipkins and fellow backup tackle Storm Norton struggled, Chargers head coach Brandon Staley noted the 49ers’ front is stout, even when shorthanded. Nick Bosa, Dee Ford and Javon Kinlaw sat out, and their fourth first-round pick on the line, Arik Armstead, logged 10 snaps.
Staley said, “The 49ers’ strength is their front. Even though Bosa and Kinlaw didn’t play, and Armstead only played for a second, they are still the strength on their team. I think those guys got a great picture of where they’re at.”
Said Street: “I feel like it’s very rare to have a room full of guys who can start anywhere in the league.”
That’s a bit hyperbolic, but it’s fair to say most of the 15 defensive linemen on the 49ers’ roster will be employed in the NFL this season. The group includes six slam dunks to make the team: Bosa, Ford, Kinlaw, Armstead, nose tackle D.J. Jones and defensive end Samson Ebukam. And it includes six linemen who likely would be signed elsewhere if the 49ers didn’t keep them: Street, Willis, Zach Kerr, Kevin Givens, Arden Key and Maurice Hurst. Among the final three linemen is Darrion Daniels, a promising 2020 undrafted free agent who played four games as a rookie.
The 49ers have nine linemen who were drafted in the first four rounds.
“It’s easily the most talented group I’ve ever been a part of, the deepest D-line I’ve ever been a part of,” said Kerr, 30, who signed in March after spending his first seven seasons with Colts, Broncos, Cardinals and Panthers. “That’s a testament to the guys (in the front office) working to get us all in one place.”
Of course, the glut of capable linemen also presents a challenge when it comes to determining the roster. Consider: The 49ers kept nine defensive linemen on their initial 53-man roster last year.
The logjam will be eased a bit because Willis will open the season by serving a sixgame suspension and won’t occupy a roster spot while he is out. In addition, Hurst is expected to miss at least a month with a high ankle sprain he suffered Sunday, and the 49ers could place him on injured reserve to start the season.
Kerr was asked Sunday about the possibility that he and other NFL-quality linemen won’t survive final roster cuts.
“That’s what keeps everybody going,” Kerr said. “We feed off that, but nobody talks about it. You’re the first person that I’m talking to about it. We know what it is and everybody knows that that’s the truth — the reality of the business and the reality of the game. But it keeps everybody going.”
Transactions: The 49ers released defensive end Shilique Calhoun and cornerback B.W. Webb, waived wide receiver River Cracraft and offensive lineman Corbin Kafusi, and placed linebacker Mychal Kendricks (toe) on injured reserve to get down to the 80-man roster limit before Tuesday’s deadline. The 49ers will cut down to 53 players next Tuesday.