Have the 49ers Improved their Run Defense?

At least on paper, it seems the front seven has gotten softer.

Feb 11, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco (10) runs against / Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

One of the 49ers' only weaknesses last season was their run defense. Have the 49ers made it better?

In 2023, the 49ers gave up 4.1 yards per carry, which ranked 14th out of 32 teams. Then in the playoffs, the 49ers gave up a whopping 5.2 yards per carry, and that was with Arik Armstead, their best run defender, on the field.

Now Armstead is on the Jacksonville Jaguars. To replace him, the 49ers traded a seventh-round pick for veteran defensive tackle Maliek Collins, who's better at rushing than quarterback than stopping the run.

Next, the 49ers replaced starting defensive end Chase Young with Leonard Floyd, who also is better at rushing the quarterback than defending the run.

In addition, the 49ers lost Dre Greenlaw to a torn Achilles tendon in the Super Bowl, and it's unclear when he will return. While he's out, his replacement is De'Vondre Campbell, who is better in pass coverage than defending the run.

So at least on paper, it seems the 49ers front seven has gotten softer. To be fair, they added Yetur Gross-Matos and Jordan Elliot who defend the run well, but they're backups.

The big addition to the 49ers run defense will be Talanoa Hufanga, who tore his ACL midway through last season. Hufanga is an excellent player when he's near the line of scrimmage, and once he was out, opponents gashed the 49ers on the ground repeatedly.

So the 49ers secondary improved against the run, but the front seven got weaker. Interesting trade-off.