SANTA CLARA, Calif. — As the San Francisco 49ers’ new defensive coordinator, Steve Wilkes finds himself in an equally enviable tough place.
On the plus side, Wilkes handles a defense that last season finished No. 1 in the NFL in a variety of categories. On the flip side, Wilkes takes on a defense that last season finished first in the NFL in a variety of categories.
Which means Wilkes has to thread the needle between trying to put his stamp on San Francisco’s defense and not trying to fix something he’s not even close to breaking.
“I think you have to embrace the success they’ve had here,” said Wilkes. “It’s a foundation that we all agree we wanted to keep and I think it’s an opportunity as we go through the process, which we already have, to try and tweak things a little bit. I still think there’s room for improvement.”
Hiring a new defensive coordinator was something Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan had gone through before, lifting DeMeco Ryans after Robert Saleh left to become head coach of the New York Jets after the 2020 season. One of the worst kept secrets in Niners-land was that Ryans was Saleh’s successor, but no This succession plan was not in place when Ryans left to become the head coach of the Houston Texans in February.
So when Shanahan went looking for a replacement for Ryan, he had a few boxes to check. First and foremost, Shanahan wanted the scheme to remain the same. The Niners brought back eight defensive players from last season and several of their starting linebackers — finish Nick Bossa, tackle Eric Armstead, linebackers Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw and safety Talanoa Hovanga — have been in the system for several years. Shanahan also wanted to keep the majority of the defensive coaching staff in place.
Other than that, Shanahan was open to possibilities, so when Wilkes wasn’t retained as the Carolina Panthers’ head coach after serving 12 games as interim coach last season, he quickly became a prime candidate. Upon signing Wilks on February 7, Wilks and Shanahan had a quick and easy relationship. Running back Christian McCaffrey, who played for Wilkes in Carolina before being traded to the 49ers last October, saw an easy fit.
“Coach Wilkes is amazing,” McCaffrey said. “It’s clear to see all the Panthers players react to him as they guarantee him the main job. That’s a clue to who he is and that says a lot not only about the coach he is, but also the man he is. Glad he’s on our side.”
Exactly what Wilkes will do for the Niners’ defense is not yet clear, but his past could provide clues.
Under Saleh and the Ryans, the 49ers leaned aggressively on the defensive line to generate pressure without attacking. In six seasons under this duo, the Niners have pitched a forward 23.4% of the time, 22nd in the NFL. When they did blitz, the defensive backs only had 9.8% of them, ranking 16th in the league. In 2022, the Niners ranked 20th in blunder rate (22.8%) and 11th in offensive running back rate (10.1%).
Wilkes’ history suggests those numbers could go up. As the Defensive Coordinator of the Cleveland Browns in 2019, Wilkes posted an offensive rush rate of 35.3% (4th in the NFL) and a defensive offensive tackle rate of 18.7% (2nd). As the Defensive Coordinator and Assistant Head Coach for the Panthers in 2017, Wilkes shot 44% of running backs (2nd) and defensemen used 13.9% of those (5th).
Those numbers help explain why players like Warner and new cornerback Isaiah Oliver aren’t surprised to see themselves add to the passing rush a bit more in 2023.
“When people ask me if I play nickels or the outside corner more, that’s kind of the thing I tend to do is just being able to attack more,” Oliver said. “I feel like it adds so much to the game and being around the ball so much more. I like to play blitz so much. And he obviously has a lot of different plans, a lot of different things he can put together for all of us.”
Despite this background, Wilkes insists that everything the Niners do will start on top. The defensive line has been a priority for Shanahan and general manager John Lynch since their arrival in 2017 and that hasn’t changed.
Likewise, Wilkes is a believer in covering the area that the Nenes greatly favored under Shanahan. In the past six seasons, San Francisco has played some form of territory on 59.8% running back, the third highest in the league. In 2019, Wilkes had the Browns play area 57.8% of the time (fifth) and the Panthers did that 57.7% of their coverage shots (second) in 2017.
That should fit perfectly with what Shanahan wants, though Wilkes also has players like fullback Charvarius Ward who can excel in covering the press, which could allow him to mix things up even more.
“The region will continue to be an important component of what we do,” said Wilkes. “But I feel like we have the skill set and the talent to be able to get in the guy’s face, put pressure on the guy, get the quarterback to hold the ball, especially up front.”
Besides finding ways to add to what the Niners are doing, Wilks’ job this spring has been to catch up on everything the Niners have done defensively over the past six years. Wilks has access to every bit of the game and practice tape and can even watch every defensive meet the team has had during that span.
When the 49ers opened up organized team activities in late May, Wilkes could be seen bouncing around the practice field with energy comparable to Ryans and Fit. Wilkes plans to call the defense from the penalty area, noting that he is sometimes too enthusiastic on the sideline. Stating that Ryans and Salih had a similar propensity for fiery reactions, Wilkes chuckled and noted that he could always change his mind.
Early returns from his players suggested that Wilkes had already discovered a good mix of teaching and energy.
“It was a smooth transition,” said Warner. “He came in and took over everything and we all really respect him… everything we’ve done in the past is behind us. It’s a new year, a new opportunity… and I know Steve is going to do a great job setting us up.”