The defense for the San Francisco 49ers remains its best aspect heading into 2025. The team as a whole is looking gto bounce back come 2025, but the defense is going to be the engine that drives this team to wins. It's still among the best and the team has had a great track record of reloading that side of the ball, not rebuilding. That tradition has seemingly continued with the club bringing in veteran journeymen linebacker, Luke Gifford.
Gifford, 29, has had stints as a backup with the Dallas Cowboys and the Tennessee Titans, the latter of which was where he started just five games over the last two seasons. The 49ers, though, have faith in Gifford and have already listed him as one of their three starting linebackers on defense. He's set to start opposite Dean Winters and next to Fred Warner.
It may seem peculiar for the 49ers to give a man pushing 30 his first big break, but if his preseason performances have been any indication, the Niners may have found their man. Through two preseason games, and with limited reps between both of them, Gifford has had ratings of 89.8 and 82.4 against the Denver Broncos and Las Vegas Raiders, respectively.
The 49ers wide-9 technique seems to be jelling well with Gifford. The defense calls on linebackers to be quicker, to help deal with the larger than normal gaps on the defensive line. An issue the team has struggled with in the past, mainly due to the need to have an elite pass rusher or two on the field at all times. If Nick Bosa is healthy the 49ers may just be back to their stellar form of yesteryear.
Quick and strong linebackers are a must in this system, and it looks like Gifford may just be one of the key pieces needed to get this defense back to elite status.
He'll join another major new addition, rookie Mykel Williams, who looks to be set to play almost exclusively in that vaunted nine-technique. If he can succeed, and the 49ers can generate the pass-rush needed to return the wide-9 back to its prolific heights, then the team will soar to the highest of heights once again.
Gifford and Williams, however, have to show that they can play in this defense and play well. Otherwise, the team will likely struggle during stretches of the season.