SANTA CLARA — The 49ers want more from their defensive line, and defensive coordinator Steve Wilkes believes Randy Gregory is the perfect addition to accomplish that goal.
“I just talked to him for a while. He was a nice guy,” Wilkes said Thursday. “I think he’s a great fit with the culture we have here. He understands our tempo and the way we practice. I love how he moves around and can come here any time of the day. , just his willingness to absorb and learn this defense says a lot about him.”
The 49ers have consistently led PFF in pass rush performance this season, but their quarterback sack numbers haven’t reached the level the group recorded a year ago. Through Week 5 of the 2022 season, the 49ers had recorded 21 quarterback sacks. Through the same period this year, San Francisco has recorded just 13 sacks.
Nick Bosa is happy to have reinforcements on the other side of the defensive line, saying Gregory will benefit from starting in a three-point stance and playing lower instead of standing upright at the line of scrimmage. Sure.
Wilkes agreed with the current NFL Defensive Player of the Year and believes Gregory can improve his play from a lower starting position. The 6-foot-5, 242-pound pass rusher was acquired by the 49ers for a 2024 sixth-round draft pick along with a 2024 seventh-round draft pick and has one sack in four games for the Denver Broncos this season. The 2024 seventh-round draft pick had three total sacks. He played in 10 games over two seasons with the Mile High City.
“I don’t want to say it helps him, but I think this is a pad-level game, you know?” Wilkes said. “It’s always about ‘bottom guy wins,’ which means the lower your pads are, the better you can perform on that particular play.”
Gregory is excited about his new opportunity with the 49ers and has already been seen having an enthusiastic conversation with Bosa on the practice field. The two seemed to be exchanging opinions about technique during their individual practice.
The Nebraska product was drafted in the second round (60th pick) of the 2015 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys and had 19.5 sacks over five seasons at Arlington. He said Gregory’s season-high for sacks was six, which he recorded in both 2018 and 2021.
If Gregory achieves the most sacks in a single season, it would be the most by a 49ers player other than Bosa since Arden Key had 6.5 sacks and Arik Armstead had six sacks in 2021.
Gregory’s first chance to prove himself to the 49ers comes on Sunday against the Cleveland Browns.
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