The San Francisco 49ers face numerous challenges as they aim to bounce back from a rocky 1-2 start to the season. On the offensive side, they are still missing key players like Offensive Player of the Year Christian McCaffrey, wide receiver Deebo Samuel, and first-round draft pick Ricky Pearsall. Compounding their woes, the defense suffered a significant blow with the season-ending injury of defensive tackle Javon Hargrave, who was diagnosed with a torn triceps muscle.
Hargrave’s absence creates a noticeable gap in depth along the interior defensive line. He had been starting alongside Maliek Collins, leaving Jordan Elliott and Kevin Givens as the only remaining options on the depth chart. Although neither Elliott nor Givens has made a significant impact thus far, Elliott is likely to step into a starting role now that Hargrave is out. The 49ers recognized the need for additional depth and made a strategic move by signing defensive tackle Shakel Brown to their practice squad on Wednesday. Brown had previously worked out with the 49ers during the pre-draft process and was signed by the team in May before being released during roster cuts.
With Brown’s addition, the 49ers now have three defensive tackles on their practice squad, joining veteran T.Y. McGill and undrafted rookie Evan Anderson. It’s anticipated that one of these players will be promoted for the upcoming Week 4 matchup against the New England Patriots.
Hargrave’s impressive pass rush win rate of 13.3% ranked him 15th among interior defensive linemen with at least 50 pass rush snaps, underscoring his importance to a defensive front that has struggled to perform consistently this season. When asked if the 49ers have enough firepower to generate pressure with just four rushers in Hargrave’s absence, head coach Kyle Shanahan acknowledged the need for adjustments. “You’ve got to have plans for that, and we do when Javon is here,” he stated. “You would love to always get there with the front four. That’s the goal, as it allows for seven guys in coverage, making it much harder on the offense.”
Shanahan continued, emphasizing that if the traditional approach isn’t working, they must adapt. “We mixed it up throughout the year. I thought our D-Line last week affected the quarterback the most they had in their three games. It was one of their better performances. But it’s a huge loss losing Javon. Guys are going to have to step it up, and when you don’t have the rush, you need to adjust schematically.”
Even with Hargrave, the 49ers had difficulty stopping the run, prompting Shanahan to hint at additional schematic changes to address the defense’s vulnerabilities. “It makes it tougher,” he said regarding the limited availability of healthy defensive tackles. “When you have four inside guys and then go down to three, it complicates stopping the run.”
Last season, the 49ers successfully utilized five-man fronts early in the year, which can effectively counter the run while creating advantageous one-on-one matchups for pass-rushing. With Hargrave sidelined, the team may need to return to these strategies to provide their defensive line with the advantages it has struggled to achieve this season. As the coaching staff explores solutions to fill the void left by Hargrave’s injury, further moves may be on the horizon to strengthen the defensive unit as they prepare for the challenges ahead.
