Defensively Speaking 2026

[Garthshort]

How many DL-men play in our base defense? And, as of now, who are they?

 

[kerouac9]

How many DL-men play in our base defense? And, as of now, who are they?

Three.

Presumptive starters are DRob-Lopez-Nolen.

Stills (very quiet camp), Andrew Billings (FA-CHI), and Collier are the second line.

 

[Garthshort]

K9, thanks, very much. This gives me a great starting point for tomorrow's game. Even knowing that Nolen probably won't play.

 

[Stout]

Three.

Presumptive starters are DRob-Lopez-Nolen.

Stills (very quiet camp), Andrew Billings (FA-CHI), and Collier are the second line.

That is bad. Really, really bad.

 

[Garthshort]

That is bad. Really, really bad.

Still have hope for D-Rob, and expect Nolen to be VG, if he can stay healthy.

 

[Carolinacacti]

That is bad. Really, really bad.

Not that bad, bad was two years ago

 

[phillycard]

How Rallis went from young up and coming DC, to possibly our biggest offseason coaching mistake is beyond me. I have hardly any confidence in his ability to get this thing rolling.

 

[Garthshort]

What are you basing that opinion on?

 

[PACardsFan]

I mean all you have to do is ask which of our starters would start for another nfc west team.

You look at the 11 that are their backups and it’s even worse!

That the cupboard is bare monti’s fault, 100%, and I feel sorry for the vets like sweat and mack Wilson and Budda who are going to get their heads kicked in all year because Monti is a profound failure.

Sigh..If the young guys like Johnson and Nolen all play superstars we could be a middle of pack unit I guess. That’s the cope I mean the hope.

Sorry, I have to disagree. The cupboard was bare in 2019 & especially in 2023. We have plenty of YOUNG talent that hasn’t stayed healthy enough to give us any idea of how good they are or how good this D can be. Availability will be the key this year. If players stay healthier & the D still stinks, TA will be the DC before season’s end.

 

[PACardsFan]

IF the offense this season is above average to good and the team loses a bunch of 27-31 kind of games--

what an indictment on Monti and Mike B.

you KNOW Mike B pressured MLF to keep Rallis -- because its what he always does

Disagree that MB had anything to do with keeping Rallis. MLF had to game plan against Rallis enough times to know that with a healthy lineup, that D was a handful. In 2024, the Ram’s MLF led offense struggled mightily in both games against Rallis. And in 2025, we didn’t play the Rams until late in the season, at which time we were playing 3rd stringers due to injuries upon injuries.

 

[PACardsFan]

It’s so good that a fifth round pick is giving Monti’s second round pick everything he can handle.

Happens all the time in the NFL. FWIW, that’s Monti’s 5th round pick giving Monti’s 2nd round pick everything he can handle. CB position is a tough one to predict. Exactly why you draft a bunch of them.

 

[Stout]

Not that bad, bad was two years ago

It's Nolen and nobodies as starters. The other two should be depth at best.

 

[Stout]

Happens all the time in the NFL. FWIW, that’s Monti’s 5th round pick giving Monti’s 2nd round pick everything he can handle. CB position is a tough one to predict. Exactly why you draft a bunch of them.

Exactly why it was dumb to trade back and take Melton when better CB talent was there. Normally, yes, it's fine if a 5th round pick turns into a starter, if they're that good. RN, the problem is Melton, the galaxy brained pick in the 2nd, is not good.

 

[Carolinacacti]

It's Nolen and nobodies as starters. The other two should be depth at best.

Better then two years agon

 

[Stout]

Better then two years agon

We'll see. The room is a damning indictment on Monti's talent recognition skills. He spent a lot to fix the problem, failed spectacularly, and we still have mostly the same problem.

 

[kerouac9]

Happens all the time in the NFL.

Cool. Can you share some examples from the past five years, preferably at cornerback for a good defense/unit.

If it happens all the time and your extensive game-charting experience it should be an easy ask.

 

[MadCardDisease]

Cool. Can you share some examples from the past five years, preferably at cornerback for a good defense/unit.

If it happens all the time and your extensive game-charting experience it should be an easy ask.

Off the top of my head I can think of two 1st round CBs right away:

Kaiir Elam got beat out by Bentford a late rounder.

Jeff Gladney got beat out by Cam Dantzier who I think was a 4th rounder.

Maybe Mike Hughes with the Vikings but I can't remember who beat him out.

 

[BirdGangThing]

Off the top of my head I can think of two 1st round CBs right away:

Kaiir Elam got beat out by Bentford a late rounder.

Jeff Gladney got beat out by Cam Dantzier who I think was a 4th rounder.

Maybe Mike Hughes with the Vikings but I can't remember who beat him out.

riq woolen was drafted in the 5th round (2022) by seattle and went to the pro bowl his rookie year - he'll be starting at cb in philly this year - i'm assuming philly has other cornerbacks who were drafted earlier but who knows

 

[Stout]

Off the top of my head I can think of two 1st round CBs right away:

Kaiir Elam got beat out by Bentford a late rounder.

Jeff Gladney got beat out by Cam Dantzier who I think was a 4th rounder.

Maybe Mike Hughes with the Vikings but I can't remember who beat him out.

I think the point is that it's no bueno to suck so bad at drafting the position high that a low round pick beats them out. The Melton trade down/pick was clearly dumb. And not in hindsight--many hated it in real time.

 

[MadCardDisease]

I think the point is that it's no bueno to suck so bad at drafting the position high that a low round pick beats them out. The Melton trade down/pick was clearly dumb. And not in hindsight--many hated it in real time.

I don't know.

To me the key is getting valuable players out of the draft wherever they come from. Do 49er fans care that Brock Purdy was Mr Irrelevant and replaced a guy who the Niners used 3 1st round picks to draft? Or are they happy that they ended up with a franchise QB between the two?

 

[BirdGangThing]

I think the point is that it's no bueno to suck so bad at drafting the position high that a low round pick beats them out. The Melton trade down/pick was clearly dumb. And not in hindsight--many hated it in real time.

cornerbacks get injured at a high clip - or atleast they do in arizona - 5th round picks who surprise and compete are a good thing - competition in camp is a good thing - they were both drafted by the same guy - probably saw some of the same things in them

 

[kerouac9]

I don't know.

To me the key is getting valuable players out of the draft wherever they come from. Do 49er fans care that Brock Purdy was Mr Irrelevant and replaced a guy who the Niners used 3 1st round picks to draft? Or are they happy that they ended up with a franchise QB between the two?

Im pretty sure 49er fans are unhappy that they got like three starts for everything they used to acquire Trey Lance.

 

[kerouac9]

Off the top of my head I can think of two 1st round CBs right away:

Kaiir Elam got beat out by Bentford a late rounder.

Jeff Gladney got beat out by Cam Dantzier who I think was a 4th rounder.

Maybe Mike Hughes with the Vikings but I can't remember who beat him out.

Jeff Gladney had a DV thing. He played like 89% of snaps his rookie year.

 

[MadCardDisease]

Jeff Gladney had a DV thing. He played like 89% of snaps his rookie year.

Wait. Gladney was a Cardinal at one point and died in a car crash.

I think I was confusing him with Jeff Okudah.

 

[kerouac9]

Wait. Gladney was a Cardinal at one point and died in a car crash.

I think I was confusing him with Jeff Okudah.

Jeff Okudah was butt and part of a bad defense AND got his GM fired