The San Francisco 49ers had the NFL’s best defense last season, and that defense was headlined by Pro Bowlers such as safety Talanoa Hufanga, middle linebacker Fred Warner, and Defensive Player of the Year Nick Bosa.
In addition, this offseason they have added defensive tackle Javon Hargrave, who made the Pro Bowl in 2021.
Some may overlook defensive lineman Arik Armstead, but he has been an integral part of their front seven for the last several years.
Armstead told NFL Network that he’s ready to dominate this coming season.
.@arikarmstead is ready to dominate with the @49ers defense 😤 (via @NFLTotalAccess) pic.twitter.com/cCfLlgrEdU
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) May 15, 2023
He was the No. 17 pick in the 2015 NFL Draft at a time when San Francisco was starting to rebuild, and he has been a versatile contributor for them since.
He played his first several seasons at defensive end, but he has also spent some time at defensive tackle more recently.
The Niners’ front seven will look a little different in 2023 after the departures of Samson Ebukam, Hassan Ridgeway, and Azeez Al-Shaair, and Armstead will need to help fill the void.
After playing in every contest for four straight seasons, he appeared in only nine games in 2022 due to injury, and he recorded no sacks for the first time in his career.
The year prior he had 6.0 sacks, 11 quarterback hits, and seven tackles for loss.
The Niners will once again have legitimate Super Bowl aspirations, and the one thing they will have to figure out is their quarterback situation.
With Jimmy Garoppolo now gone, the starting spot will come down to Brock Purdy, who did very well as a rookie last year after Garoppolo got hurt, Trey Lance, and free agent signing Sam Darnold.
NEXT: Fans React To What Kyle Shanahan Said About 49ers QB Room
