Will The 49ers Defense Keep Rolling Under Steve Wilks?

By Will Schell

The 49ers once again ended their season losing on the road in an NFC Championship game, but former 49ers defensive Domeco Ryans had this defense ranked first in the NFL. As expected, Ryans was hired to be a head coach and the Houston Texans inked him to a six year deal. Ryans has spent most of his NFL career in Houston alongside future hall of famer J.J. Watt.

The 49ers needed a new defensive coordinator and they’ve hired Panthers interim coach Steve Wilks. Wilks took over for Matt Rhule after he was fired by the Panthers five games into this past season. Wilks did a fine job this season going 6-6 and nearly leading the Panthers to a playoff berth. Just months into his job, Wilks has already started bringing some Panther talent to this 49ers team. One of them is safety Myles Hartsfield. Hartsfield started fifteen games last year for the Panthers and was a vital part of their defense.

Hartsfield will have an important role with the 49ers after defensive leader Jimmie Ward signed with Demeco Ryans’ Texans to lead their young defense. Lots of 49er fans question whether Wilks can replicate Ryans success in San Francisco. These same questions were asked a few years ago about Domeco Ryans when Robert Saleh left to coach the New York Jets. Wilks should do just fine, after all it's not everyday you join a team that just happens to have the Defensive Player of the Year on it in Nick Bosa. Bosa looks to have another outstanding season after putting up 18.5 sacks and getting some hardware to go along with it in 2022. Wilks also has other All Pro talent like Fred Warner, Talanoa Hufanga, and Mooney Ward to work with. The 49ers should expect Wilks to succeed just like the past two defensive coordinators have done with this ultra talented squad heading into the 2023-24 season.