The 49ers need a significant defensive turnaround if they’re going to compete for a playoff spot in 2019. Part of that will be improving the starting group, but adding more quality depth will be vital as well. The latter will take center stage when San Francisco hosts the Cowboys on Saturday to open their preseason slate.
Here are six players to watch when the 49ers defense is on the field, because they could all be factors in helping that unit bounce back this year:
LB Dre Greenlaw
The 49ers might’ve struck gold when they selected Greenlaw in the fifth-round of this year’s draft. He’s an undersized, athletic linebacker who fits the mold of the modern player at his position. There’s a stiff competition for the starting Sam linebacker job, but Malcolm Smith’s hamstring tightness has opened the door for Greenlaw to assert his claim on the position. A strong preseason showing could go a long way toward securing a starting spot.
DL Kentavius Street
It’s regularly noted that Street is the strongest player on the 49ers. That makes the second-year defensive lineman a must-watch in a preseason environment that likely pits him against backup offensive linemen. The 2018 fourth-round pick tore his ACL in college and sat out all of last season. He’s yet to play against NFL competition, so seeing how the immensely strong defensive lineman moves opposing linemen should be fascinating. He’s also competing for snaps in the 49ers’ defensive line rotation.
DL Solomon Thomas
It’s a bit of a make-or-break year for the 2017 No. 3 overall pick. He struggled on the field and personally last season, so it’s hard to evaluate him based on the step back he took between Years 1 and 2. His third year should be a better indicator of his progress and career trajectory. We won’t know a ton based on Saturday, but a dominant showing from Thomas where he makes a couple splash plays would be a good step forward.
S Tarvarius Moore
Moore’s move from cornerback to safety shook up the 49ers secondary, and his quick ascension to the first team with Jimmie Ward still nursing collarbone injury is an indicator the move could be for the better. The 49ers selected Moore in the third round last year because of his play as a free safety in college. He’s an electric athlete who could provide some much needed playmaking in the back end of San Francisco’s secondary. His success in a preseason setting could be the difference between him starting and not.
CB Tim Harris
Harris is riding the line between practice squad candidate and 53-man roster spot. He’s probably on the outside looking in at the roster going into the first preseason game. However, if he can stay healthy enough to play quality snaps throughout the first game, he can insert himself to the conversation to not only stick around, but possibly make his way onto the field this season.
LB Azeez Al-Shaair
A knee injury limited Al-Shaair to just six games in his final season at FAU, and it may have been the difference between him being a late-round pick and an undrafted free agent. He flew around the field in college with 258 tackles, 21 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks between his sophomore and junior seasons. There’s a level of athleticism and instincts required to produce like that, and this game against Dallas will be his first chance to show off those skills in a game setting.
