The San Francisco 49ers opened their 2026 campaign with a suffocating 27-7 victory over the Los Angeles Rams at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Pro Football Focus (PFF) has released its defensive grades and snap counts from the game, showcasing a dominant masterclass from the veteran leaders alongside some interior line growing pains.
Here is the official PFF breakdown of Raheem Morris’ defense in Week 1.
Highest & Lowest Graded Defensive Players
Top 5 Defensive Performers:
- Fred Warner (LB): 91.1 (53 snaps)
- Nick Bosa (DE): 86.2 (36 snaps)
- Upton Stout (CB): 80.4 (36 snaps)
- Marques Sigle (FS): 80.2 (61 snaps)
- Jack Jones (CB): 70.6 (8 snaps)
Lowest-Graded Defensive Performers:
- James Thompson Jr. (DT): 29.1 (21 snaps)
- Gracen Halton (DT): 30.4 (31 snaps)
- CJ West (DT): 33.2 (23 snaps)
- Dre Greenlaw (LB): 35.4 (40 snaps)
- Garret Wallow (LB): 45.8 (13 snaps)
Standout Player: Fred Warner Dominates Australia
Linebacker Fred Warner, who was limited to just six games last season due to an ankle injury, returned in dominant form as the highest-graded player on the field. Warner finished with an elite 91.1 defensive grade, racking up a game-high 11 tackles, a pass defensed, and a forced fumble.
Pass Rush: Osa Odighizuwa Leads the Interior Push
New acquisition Osa Odighizuwa spearheaded San Francisco’s interior rush, earning a game-high 74.3 pass-rush grade. Odighizuwa registered five total pressures, including three hits and two hurries.
Second-year tackle CJ West, starting in place of the injured Alfred Collins, posted the second-highest pass-rush grade on the team at 70.2. Rookie James Thompson Jr. posted a game-low 52.1 pass-rush grade.
Total Pressures Generated (14 Total):
- Osa Odighizuwa (DT): 5
- Ogbo Okoronkwo (DE): 3
- Nick Bosa (DE), Gracen Halton (DT), Khalid Kareem (DE), Upton Stout (CB), CJ West (DT), Keion White (DE): 1 pressure each
Run Defense: Bosa and Warner Lock Down the Front
Warner posted a game-high 88.4 run-defense grade with two defensive stops, while Nick Bosa earned the second-highest mark in the game at 87.4.
However, San Francisco’s interior run defense struggled overall without Alfred Collins. Dre Greenlaw recorded a team-low 28.5 run-defense grade, while the interior tackle group of Gracen Halton (29.3), James Thompson Jr. (29.4), and CJ West (29.9) struggled against the Rams' ground attack.
Coverage: Warner and Stout Erase Passing Lanes
Warner excelled in coverage as well, earning an 85.3 coverage grade, who trailed only Rams defenders Quentin Lake (89.8) and Trent McDuffie (85.4). Warner surrendered just two catches for 24 yards on three targets with a pass breakup.
In the secondary, cornerback Upton Stout paced the defensive backs with a 73.6 coverage grade, giving up just one catch for 3 yards on three targets. Linebacker Garret Wallow earned the lowest coverage mark at 31.0 on a limited sample size.
Tackling & Missed Tackles
Free safety Marques Sigle paced the field with a 89.0 tackling grade, recording nine tackles (four solo). Garret Wallow finished with a game-low 26.0 tackling grade.
Missed Tackles:
- Ji'Ayir Brown (FS): 2
- Dre Greenlaw (LB) & Garret Wallow (LB): 1 each
