San Francisco 49ers: What to Expect from the Defense in 2015

June 9, 2015   ·   Dan Mori   ·   Jump to comments

The San Francisco 49ers have myriad question marks as they head into the summer. One of the questions that must be answered: How good will the pass rush and pass defense perform in the 2015 season?
A strong pass defense starts with a good, consistent pass rush. Putting pressure on the opposing quarterback will help a defensive backfield immensely.
The 49ers have lost Justin Smith and Ray McDonald, two key members of their defensive line. In prior seasons, Smith worked very well with Aldon Smith, as he was able to occupy multiple blockers, enabling Aldon to have fewer blockers to contend with.
Heading into the 2015 season, the most likely replacements for Smith and McDonald are Tank Carradine and Darnell Dockett, who the 49ers signed as a free agent.
Dockett missed the 2014 season with a torn ACL and, at the age of 34, cannot be expected to play every snap. Expect to see a lot of Tony Jerod-Eddie, and maybe even a little of top draft pick Arik Armstead, as the 49ers ...

Read Complete Article at Bleacher Report - NFL
Article is property of BleacherReport.com