A look at how the 49ers performed defensively in the second week of the preseason
While the 49ers didn’t send out many starters on Sunday against the Saints, there were some impressive performances from rookies and depth pieces. Let’s look at the snap counts and grades, courtesy of PFF, and highlight significant performances.
Defensive Line – Sam Okuayinonu 38 (61.4), Alex Barrett 33 (93.5), Robert Beal, Jr. 33 (44.1), Evan Anderson 32 (56.2), TY McGill 32 (39.3), Shakel Brown 28 (44.5), Jonathan Garvin 20 (77.7), Jordan Elliott 16 (35.5), Kevin Givens 16 (30.3), Nick Williams 16 (32.2), Yetur Gross-Matos 16 (43.3)
Alex Barrett was the highest-graded defender and finished with four total pressures, three hurries, a sack, and a tackle on 17 pass-rushing snaps. Barrett is making a case as a valuable depth piece for the defensive line.
Jonathan Garvin added two pressures and two hurries on 12 pass-rushing snaps at defensive end. T.Y. McGill finished with a sack, two pressures, and a QB hit on 19 pass-rushing snaps.
Linebacker – Jalen Graham 56 (67.5), Tatum Bethune 35 (69.0), Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles 32 (65.3), Curtis Robinson 30 (78.6), De’Vondre Campbell 13 (72.7)
Jalen Graham notched a sack and pressure on only three pass-rushing snaps and finished with five tackles (tied for the team-high) and six defensive stops but allowed two catches on two targets for 15 yards. Graham didn’t miss a tackle.
Tatum Bethune tied with Graham and Malik Mustapha with five tackles and added two defensive stops with no missed tackles in his 35 total snaps. Curtis Robinson took advantage of his opportunity with four tackles, four defensive stops, one batted pass, pressure, and a QB hit.
Secondary – Darrell Luter Jr. 48 (59.7), Samuel Womack III 46 (47.2), Rock Ya-Sin 45 (56.2), Malik Mustapha 40 (60.3), Jaylen Mahoney 38 (71.9), Tracy Walker III 35 (50.9), Renardo Green 32 (47.7), Tayler Hawkins 15 (66.0), Chase Lucas 13 (52.5), Ji’Ayir Brown 6 (72.0), George Odum 6 (77.1)
Samuel Womack III (8 targets) and Darrell Luter Jr. (6 targets) were the most targeted members of the secondary and allowed five and two catches, respectively. Renardo Green was targeted twice and allowed one catch to Chris Olave for 19 yards.
Rock Ya-Sin allowed a 39.6 passer rating when targeted, allowing zero catches on one target. George Odum (presumed starter at safety with Brown if Hufanga isn’t healthy for Week 1) led the team with a coverage grade of 74.1 on three coverage snaps.