Arguably, the best offseason move the San Francisco 49ers made amid a tumultuous series of departures was bringing back Robert Saleh as defensive coordinator after his firing from the New York Jets' head coaching job.
Saleh, of course, earned that Gang Green gig in 2021 after turning the Niners defense into a powerhouse, effectively starting from scratch in 2017 under head coach Kyle Shanahan and then engineering a masterclass during San Francisco's injury-plagued 2020 season.
Despite a slew of injuries that year before Saleh's departure from the Bay Area, the 49ers defense remained an effective and still-potent unit.
Entering 2025, following a dreadful defensive effort under one-and-done coordinator Nick Sorensen, the Niners again turned to Saleh to revamp that side of the ball, and his influence was widely felt throughout this year's NFL Draft, particularly early on with five of their first six picks used on defenders.
Relying heavily on rookies is a risky proposition for San Francisco in 2025, yes.
But, trusting in Saleh to get the most out of this class is an excellent approach. And it's one Pro Football Network rightfully acknowledged.
Robert Saleh ranks within top 10 of defensive coordinators entering 2025
Listing out all 32 teams' defensive coordinators heading into the new season, PFN's Jacob Infante possibly slighted Saleh by not including him in the top five.
Instead, Saleh ranked No. 6. And here's what Infante had to say about the placement:
"Ranking Robert Saleh this high comes with an asterisk, given that he’s returning to the defensive coordinator ranks after being fired as New York’s head coach last year. That said, he remains a top defensive mind in the NFL.
Saleh’s Jets ranked inside the top five in Defense+ in both 2022 and 2023. Before then, his defenses with the San Francisco 49ers played a significant role in their development into an NFC superpower. Now back in his old role as their DC, expect an improvement from a 49ers defense that placed just 26th in Defense+ last year."
The fact the Niners effective gave Saleh carte blanche to do what he wished with the defense means he'll be recreating that side of the ball with his own vision, not under the demands of other third parties in the mix.
Now, should Saleh have been ranked higher? Perhaps, although there is that part about having to work with so many prominent rookies now after San Francisco said goodbye to standout defenders like edge Leonard Floyd, cornerback Charvarius Ward, defensive tackle Javon Hargrave and linebacker Dre Greenlaw.
So, by most accounts, No. 6 seems fair.
For reference, the five coordinators who ranked above Saleh are as follows:
Vic Fangio, Philadelphia Eagles
Steve Spagnuolo, Kansas City Chiefs
Brian Flores, Minnesota Vikings
Vance Joseph, Denver Broncos
Jesse Minter, Los Angeles Chargers
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