3 49ers on Defense With the Most to Prove in 2025

2024 was a mediocre year for Ji’Ayir Brown. He was expected to take a leap in his sophomore season after showing some promise in his rookie year. Unfortunately, he failed to do so and became a liability for the defense.

Brown recently revealed what contributed to his mediocre season, with injuries being one of them. Now that he’s healthy and has an upgraded defensive coordinator, Brown has to prove that 2024 was a blip. 

He has to show the 49ers, namely Robert Saleh, that he’s their safety for the future. It’s a wide-open competition for the two starting safety positions, so brown has to work for it if he wants to return as the starter. 

He’s a little behind since he missed all of OTAs and minicamp, but he has been nearly perfect with his attendance at training camp. Brown will need all the reps he can get to win the starting job and prove that he’s a quality player and not a weak link. 

Renardo Green

Competition is the theme of the 49ers’ defense in training camp. Yet, second-year cornerback Renardo Green has been given the starting job already opposite Deommodore Lenoir. That shows just how talented Green is above the rest. 

All of that has created a ton of pressure and expectations on Green in 2025. He has to prove why the 49ers named him the starter without making it an open competition. It’s essentially that way for every position on the defense. 

But because Green played so well and demonstrated a lot of promise in his rookie season, he’s earned his spot. Green is going to be under a microscope in 2025 to ensure he’s not another second-year player who fails to leap. 

Brown failed to do so, which is why he’s in the precarious spot that he’s in now. Green has to build upon last year and be one of the anchors that the 49ers believe he can be. 

Bryce Huff

The excitement and hype when the 49ers acquired pass rusher Bryce Huff from the Philadelphia Eagles was high. Maybe it was because the 49ers were minimally active in free agency. 

But it’s also because the 49ers got a player who had the best year of his career playing for Saleh. Combine the hype the 49ers have built for him and how he played under Saleh last, and you have yourself a player who has to pan out. 

Huff has to be an impact player for the 49ers. He has to be effective enough that the 2025 season is over with and people look back on the trade, wondering how the 49ers got him for cheap.

By no means can Huff be a dud or even average. Yes, the 49ers didn’t give up that much for him, but all of that hype that the 49ers have created for him since they acquired him has set a standard that he’s going to be sweet for them. 

That’s how they speak about him, which shows how confident and sure they are about Huff. Plus, the 49ers need him to be a hit because their defensive line isn’t laced with quality pass rushers.