Defensive Line
Tackles
Glenn Dorsey - It sucks to lose him for the season. I thought he played very well last year, even though we only use Nose tackles on 43% of our defensive plays, but he still needs to be disruptive and Dorsey was that, he was a factor and even got 2 sacks, we'll probably get him back for Nov-Dec, and that's when we'll need him. He is strong, good with his hands and an all around very solid veteran. He only has a couple of prime years left but he should a force later in the season, when teams hunker down and try power up the field against us. Grade: B+
Ian Williams - Was a on the way to stardom or at least being a solid starter until he broke is ankle. Now it's his time to shine. At only 24, he's got tons of upside and he is very athletic and strong for a relatively small tackle. He is also a disruptive pass rusher, and he is going to be the starting guy this year. Hope he's ready to go, we're going to need him. Grade: B
Quentin Dial - He impressed me quite a bit during in the preseason game. He is a monster of a man and it shows. He can push centers back and he has really nice hands for a young guy, always trying to jar the ball loose instead of just going for the tackle, he will probably get a nice amount of playing time this season. Grade: B-
Demarcus Dobbs - While I don't think he'll be a starter, in this league, I think he is a very solid depth tackle, he can be a spot starter, but we have a lot of depth and the young guys are now healthy this year and ready to play. He's going to have to either continue to stand out in special teams or push another player back on the depth chart. I don't know how much longer we can keep him, especially when there are teams hungry for young capable D linemen. Grade: C
Tony Jerod-Eddie- I see him as primarily a special teams player, though he could get some snaps in garbage time during the season.He played well in a couple of games last year when Ray Mac got hurt, but with Dial and Tank coming into the picture, we may not have the room for him. Grade: C
Mike Purcell - Another developmental prospect. He could be a practice squad guy. He has good size but his technique is sloppy, and I think he's a year or two from becoming an NFL level D-Lineman. Grade: D-
Kaleb Ramsey - Another potentially talented player with a history of injuries, if he can stay healthy he can be a contributor otherwise it's a typical 7th round pick. Grade: F
Ends
Justin Smith - One of the great 49er ends of our time. Unfortunately age is catching up to him. Plus I think that shoulder injury was worse than advertised. Either way, we drafted all of these young guns to help give him a break and spell him. He still has his footprints in every play he shows up in and he'll be a factor this year, we just gotta reduce his snaps and keep him fresh. Grade: A-
Ray MacDonald - One of the most underrated Ends in the league, very quietly this guy has been putting in work for years, but we never hear a peep. He is a better run stopper than pass rusher but he is very well balanced and is as solid lunchpail player as you can ask for. Grade: B+
Conerlius 'Tank' Carradine- Tank Carradine is a Hybrid imo, I think he will be featured in 4 man fronts, this year, though he will likely ultimately replace the Cowboy Justin Smith in a year or two, but I think he can play right now, (just don't look him in the eyes, he's scary looking). I also feel like I shouldn't call him Cornelius. He's fast a gifted pass rusher, and I can't wait to see him develop. Grade: B
Lawrence Okoye - He was so raw going into last years camp, but all notes and indications seem to point at him improving cosiderably. He looked good in the preseason game vs the Ravens and I think is shaping to be a diamond in the rough. He could be a dark horse to make the roster, and be a monster if he improves at this rate. Grade: C
In conclusion we have got great talent and depth at the defensive line position and yet even with all that we may still be only the 3rd best defensive line in the division (Rams and Arizona I think have built better lines). We need a flesh eating pass rush this year, we have a tough schedule and we have young unproven DBs. But even so we're a top 5 defensive line in the NFL in our opinion. We also have a lot of young guys that are going to get playing time this year. Unit Grade: A-