49ers fans are overwhelmingly confident in the defense heading into 2026

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - NOVEMBER 02: Alfred Collins #95 of the San Francisco 49ers and Mykel Williams #98 during the game against the New York Giants on November 2, 2025 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

San Francisco 49ers fans are overwhelmingly confident that the defense will turn the corner after the previous two seasons and revert to what we saw during their deep playoff runs in 2022 and 2023.

Any advanced stat you point to does not paint the 49ers defense in a positive light. That's to be expected when they played the majority of the season without their two best players. Our survey question, sponsored by FanDuel Sportsbook, asking whether the defense would finish in the top-12, was one of the most positive responses to date:

Nick Bosa, Fred Warner, Osa Odighizuwa, Mykel Williams, and various depth pieces around them should inspire confidence.

There are still question marks, like whether the secondary can hold up in their 1-on-1 matchups, whether Dre Greenlaw's health is an issue, or whether the pass rush around Bosa and Odighizuwa can get it done. All of those are fair to mention. However, Odighizuwa's durability gives the Niners the type of peace of mind they haven't had at the position in a long, long time for a player of that caliber.

And unlike in years past, there are complements to each type of player. Alfred Collins and CJ West are the space eaters on the interior who'll pave the way for Gracen Halton and Keion White to come in on obvious passing downs. Mykel is the big one here. He's the player who can raise the ceiling. He was already a plus run defender as a rookie. If he can provide any consistency as a pass rusher, this unit has a chance to finish closer to 5 than 10. It's a big if, but we're also talking about a top-11 pick. Rookie Romello Height couldn't be walking into a better situation, either.

One would think that a top-tier defensive line would mask any potential issues in the secondary. As a team, the speed will be night and day from last year. That'll go a long way toward limiting big plays, improving pursuit angles to tackle, and corralling the quarterback.

Is finishing in the top 12 too low a bar?