The San Francisco 49ers have several star players on the roster. You can't talk about the best tight ends or running backs in the league without mentioning George Kittle and Christian McCaffrey.
Brock Purdy, if he continues to improve, will also appear on best quarterback lists in the future. But what about the defense? The 49ers have a couple of stars there, too, who will make all the difference in the world in 2026.
Bleacher Report's NFL scouting department recently ranked the top 99 defensive players in the league ahead of the 2026 season. Unsurprisingly, the 49ers had two players crack the list.
No. 25: EDGE Nick Bosa (EDGE5)
There's no question Nick Bosa is among the best pass rushers in the league when healthy. The star has an 18.5-sack season on his resume and has had double-digit sacks in three different seasons.
"As a pass-rusher, Bosa's hand-use is elite and where he primarily wins. He's also effective at turning speed-to-power, providing more juice off the edge than most expect," the scouting department said. "Additionally, the 2019 No. 2 overall pick's run defense is underrated. He has the strength to set the edge and escape blocks, while also showing enough athleticism to take advantage during the rare occasions he's unblocked."
As the scouting team mentioned, Bosa has as much juice off the edge as anybody, and he's underrated as a run defender as well. There aren't many areas in which Bosa isn't elite, other than perhaps staying healthy.
Bosa only played in three games last year, but he's healthy now. The 49ers need him to stay healthy this year because the pass rush was among the league's worst in 2025.
No. 4: LB Fred Warner (LB1)
If you need proof of how good Fred Warner is, just look at this list. Despite only playing in six games in 2025, Warner is still ranked as the best linebacker in the entire league.
"Despite only playing in six games last season due to a broken ankle, Warner remains the NFL's best linebacker, because he plays the position almost perfectly," the scouting department said. "In coverage, Warner's acceleration and speed allow him to be effective at clicking and closing in his area, while displaying elite range to help teammates or cover up missed tackles."
As mentioned, there is nothing that Warner isn't great at. The linebacker is great in pass coverage, great as a run defender, and he even helps out the pass rush by requiring so much attention from blockers.
Warner has had over 100 tackles in every season except for 2025. The linebacker is healthy now, and as long as he is, the 49ers will have a feared defense.
