The San Francisco 49ers are expected to hire Robert Saleh as their next defensive coordinator after a crazy 24 hours with the Jacksonville Jaguars, according to several reports.
Saleh, San Francisco’s defensive coordinator from 2017-20, is expected to return to the Bay Area after spending the last few seasons as the head coach of the New York Jets, where he accumulated a 20-36 record over three plus seasons before being fired.
Saleh seemed to be in contention for a couple of head coach openings this cycle, most prevalently earning a second interview with the Jacksonville Jaguars, and even being perceived as the favorite in the race at one point.
However, after initially being rebuffed, the Jaguars were able to bring over Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen as their next head coach, prompting Saleh to likely return to the Bay Area in 2025.
The 49ers are a much different team on defense since Saleh last was in San Francisco. In fact, only Fred Warner and Nick Bosa remain from that Super Bowl-contending team, and the defensive coordinator will have work to do to revamp a unit that was very inconsistent last season, especially against the run.
With Saleh expected to be in the fold, what is San Francisco’s biggest priority this offseason?
While there are a number of pending free agents, the top focus has to be resurrecting the defensive line, and as a result, the run defense. San Francisco has struggled at times to defend the run over the last two years, which has been due to a lack of top-level talent on the interior of their front.
Saleh likely brings along the ‘Wide 9’ scheme back to San Francisco, which has hurt the defense over the last two years due to the lack of personnel. So, the priority has to be regarding that personnel and finding the requisite players to fit the scheme.
That could be in free agency or, more likely, the 2025 NFL Draft where the 49ers are selecting at No. 11 with their first pick after a 6-11 campaign in 2024.
Now, Saleh has adjusted around at his different destinations, still fielding elite-level defensive units with different personnel during his time with the New York Jets.
But, he still had strong defensive line play with those groups, especially in the interior with Quinnen Williams being a presence, so that will be a key for the 49ers this offseason.
San Francisco could also look for a younger, more effective pass rusher opposite Nick Bosa, with a bevy of talented defensive ends available early in the draft as well. Nonetheless, the top priority for the 49ers has to be improving the defensive line this offseason, and they’ll get a number of opportunities to do that.
