49ers’ Move for $84 Million Lineman Paying ‘Massive Dividends’: PFF

Certainly, you can simply watch the 49ers to know that the team’s defense has been outstanding. They’ve allowed just 42 points, which is fifth in the NFL, and they’ve allowed just 775 total yards, which is third. They’ve got eight sacks to their credit and are second in the NFL with five interceptions.

But if you really get into the stats league-wide, there is something that truly stands out about this 49ers bunch—the defensive line, which was good in 2022, is arguably the best in in the NFL in 2023.

And the difference has been the payoff the team has gotten from its major offseason free-agent gamble, the signing of defensive lineman Javon Hargrave to a four-year, $84 million contract with $40 million fully guaranteed. The 49ers were decisive and aggressive in making Hargrave their priority last March, and though he had bigger offers elsewhere, he bought into the team’s vision of a dominant D-line anchored by he and Nick Bosa.

Pro Football Focus examined just how good the 49ers’ line has been, and gave the acquisition of Hargrave major props: “Fast forward to Week 3 of the 2023 season, and that signing is already paying massive dividends. The 49ers have the highest pass-rushing grade in the league by almost three grading points. … (and) have a chance to end up with the best defensive line in football.”

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PFF Ranks 4 Niners DLs in Positional Top 10

In breaking down the grades of each of the players on the San Francisco front, the folks at PFF came up with pretty impressive numbers.

Bosa graded out at 93.9 in 137 snaps the highest rated edge rusher in the league, despite having missed all of training camp in a contract holdout. On the other side, edge rusher Drake Jackson, the team’s second-round pick last year, has been developing nicely and graded at 79.3, which ranks 22^nd out of 113 edge rushers in the NFL.

Jackson plays behind Clelin Ferrell (No. 48), for now, but they basically split snaps, 98 for Jackson and 93 for Ferrell.

Having No. 1 and No. 22 overall on your edges makes for a fearsome defense. But it is in the interior linemen on the 49ers who are putting up the most impressive grades. That starts with Hargrave, the No. 4 overall interior defensive lineman in the league (out of 133), with a grade of 90.4 on 127 snaps. Arik Armstead is just behind, at 87.8, which is eighth. And Javon Kinlaw comes off the bench and ranks 10^th, with an 85.3.

Wrote PFF: “Bosa and Hargrave look like the dominant players they’ve always been. Javon Kinlaw has already surpassed his 2022 pressure total, and Arik Armstead is the fourth-highest-graded defender on the team. Second-year edge rusher Drake Jackson is also developing into a nice depth piece and already has three sacks on the year.

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Hargrave Signing Was Bold

It’s important to remember that signing Hargrave was not an easy call for the 49ers. They knew going in that he would be expensive and that there would be competition.

But general manager John Lynch had told owner Jed York that Hargrave was a must-get.

“I said (to York), ‘Well, we got the guy for ya and we gotta go get him,'” Lynch said back in the spring, per ESPN. “That was the challenge, could we do it? There was a lot of competition for him, but we were able to do it. And I’m really excited about watching this guy. We watched him terrorize the league, terrorize us, and it’s nice to have him on our side.”

Hargrave has certainly seemed to enjoy being part of the 49ers’ defense. After a trip to the Super Bowl last season with the Eagles, Hargrave knew it would not be easy to stay with a contender and get the major money he sought, especially as he is getting older (he turned 30 in February).

But the 49ers’ hard sell made his choice easy.

“It’s not really a hard decision to make,” Hargrave said. “Because I mean, that’s all you like in football is winning and getting paid.”

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