With the San Francisco 49ers taking on the Seattle Seahawks in Week 1 of the regular season, the team has some weaknesses that are a cause for concern.
Their defensive line may prove to be the biggest trouble spot against Seattle.
The Niners have to feel good about where they are, health-wise, to begin the season. Every player on the 53-man roster practiced in some capacity this week, so they are in a good spot entering Week 1.
However, even with a healthy D-line, the Niners could still have some holes exposed.
Outside of Nick Bosa, there are a lot of questions for the 49ers here. They loaded up on defensive linemen in the NFL Draft with Mykel Williams, Alfred Collins, and C.J. West. All of them were injured at some point either in OTAs or training camp, so they all may be a little behind schedule coming into the year.
That is why San Francisco will probably lean on more experienced veteran options at first. This will include the likes of Jordan Elliott and Kalia Davis at nose tackle, as well as Bryce Huff at edge. None of those players are perfect, but they at least have proven to be serviceable NFL players in the past. In the case of Huff, he is just two seasons removed from being an effective pass-rusher.
San Francisco will surely cycle the younger guys in, but this combination could lead to some difficulties early in the season. Inexperienced rookies are bound to make mistakes, so as these younger guys learn the ropes, it is reasonable to expect some growing pains.
Couple the 49ers' relative youth and inexperience up front with Seattle's improved rushing attack, and it could lead to some problems this Sunday. Kenneth Walker III has been an effective running back when he has been healthy, so Seattle seems likely to lean heavily on him especially given San Francisco's D-line.
It is going to be interesting to see what defensive coordinator Robert Saleh has dialed up against Seattle. He reportedly had some tricks up his sleeve in training camp, so what better time to break those tricks out than against your most hated rival in Week 1 of the regular season?
We will see how San Francisco's defensive line fares against Seattle, but going into the game, it seems like the painful truth is it will take time for the D-line to fully come together this season.