SANTA CLARA – A subdued Robert Saleh is reserving judgment on the 49ers’ refreshed defense.
“Once we get pads on and it gets real and you can get a little more physical with receivers, we’ll have a better idea who’s going to stick and who’s not,” Saleh said after Wednesday’s final minicamp practice.
Six weeks from now, the shoulder pads come on and the hitting commences in training camp.
Perhaps then, Saleh will routinely erupt on the sideline with fiery emotion and mirror his previous stint as defensive coordinator, from 2017-20.
This Saleh Sequel has been defined more by calm, which is what the 49ers need after chaotic turnover on that side of the ball this offseason.
While assistants handled pit-crew duty of shuttling personnel in and out, Saleh often observed from afar, sometimes next to coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch.
San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh speaks to reporters during an NFL football press conference, Thursday, May 8, 2025, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Thursday’s final practice displayed the defense’s off-limits restrictions, such as:
No matter how well Nick Bosa and new pass-rush partner Bryce Huff swept into the 49ers’ backfield, they could only feign pressure.
No matter how fast rookie linebacker Nick Martin raced to the boundary, he could only run through the sideline rather than into a ballcarrier.
No matter how sticky of coverage rookie nickel back Upton Stout had, he could be only so aggressive in defending a Brock Purdy pass to Jordan Watkins.
“The whole goal of OTAs was to see our guys improve from a communication standpoint and execution standpoint,” Saleh added.
The San Francisco 49ers’ Nick Bosa (97) and San Francisco 49ers’ Bryce Huff (47) talk at the San Francisco 49ers’ practice facility in Santa Clara, Calif., on Tuesday, June 10, 2025. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)
Saleh didn’t need to see much from the two defensive stalwarts who broke into the NFL in his previous tenure, Bosa and linebacker Fred Warner. While Bosa participated in defensive line drills and some full-team action, Warner was strictly an observer, albeit a vocal one encouraging fellow defenders and occasionally wailing if the offense made a play.
Bosa recently said he’s intent on getting back to the “bread-and-butter” moves that fed his 2022 NFL Defensive Player of the Year campaign.
“We’ll see once pads get on,” Saleh said of Bosa’s potential shift. “He’s so deliberate in what he does, the way takes care of his body. The great ones can always self-scout and be critical of themselves. Over film study the last year, he’s pinpointed where he can improve.”
The 49ers further invested in their pass rush by using their first-round pick on Mykel Williams and recently trading for Huff, who notched a career-high 10 sacks in 2023 on the Saleh-coached New York Jets.
Huff said Saleh’s scheme reflects “just the way I like to play: Get off the ball, be aggressive, get after the quarterback.”
With six defensive starters exiting in free agency, rookie replacements were brought in via the draft, the first five picks spent on defensive end Mykel Williams, defensive tackles Alfred Collins and C.J. West. Williams was limited to individual work because of a hamstring issue the past two weeks, while Collins has yet to practice because of a calf issue and his still-unsigned contract status.
Otherwise, “it’s been a good first couple of months,” Saleh said in praising his coachable crew.
San Francisco 49ers’ Dre Greenlaw (57) stands over a tackle against Los Angeles Rams in the first quarter at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)
It was a bad season last year, however. Fourth-quarter leads were blown, the run defense cratered and their pass rush was led by Bosa’s nine sacks.
The defense Saleh inherits no longer features several starters: defensive linemen Leonard Floyd, Javon Hargrave and Maliek Collins; linebacker Dre Greenlaw; cornerback Charvarius Ward; and, safety Talanoa Hufanga.
One holdover who has impressed Saleh – to an extent – is linebacker Dee Winters.
“It’s easy when it’s OTAs and you’re not having to deal with run/pass reads and everything is a little slower,” Saleh said. “He’s got something to him. I don’t want to jinx him but if he stays on trajectory and attacks the next six weeks the right way, he’s due for a heck of a season.”
The same could be said for the entire defense.
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“Our energy’s been great throughout the whole team, through the defense, definitely,” Shanahan said. “Saleh’s been great, too.”
Bosa said he appreciates Saleh now more than ever, no disrespect intended to the coordinators who bridged the past four years – DeMeco Ryans, Steve Wilks and Nick Sorensen.
“When I was a rookie, I didn’t really know what I had with him as a defensive coordinator,” Saleh said. “It’s great to have him back. I just love him as a man. He’s a good dude.”