Following a thrilling 23-17 victory over the Washington Commanders on Monday Night Football, Pro Football Focus (PFF) released its defensive grades and snap counts for the 6-0 San Francisco 49ers.
Despite missing Dre Greenlaw to suspension and working through secondary penalties, Raheem Morris’ unit clamped down when it mattered most. Safety Malik Mustapha delivered a game-sealing performance in coverage, while young front-seven defenders Jaden Dugger and Romello Height generated relentless pass-rush heat.
Highest & Lowest Graded 49ers Defense
Top 5 Defensive Grades
- LB Luke Gifford: 86.9 (4 snaps)
- FS Malik Mustapha: 78.1 (67 snaps)
- LB Jaden Dugger: 72.4 (64 snaps)
- DT Gracen Halton: 71.0 (24 snaps)
- FS Ji'Ayir Brown: 67.8 (67 snaps)
Bottom 5 Defensive Grades
- FS Ashtyn Davis: 27.7 (14 snaps)
- CB Renardo Green: 39.9 (67 snaps)
- CB Upton Stout: 42.2 (28 snaps)
- DE Ogbo Okoronkwo: 52.2 (17 snaps)
- LB Jalen Graham: 55.6 (9 snaps)
Pass-Rush Grades: Dugger, Height, and Odighizuwa Wreak Havoc
Linebacker Jaden Dugger earned the game's highest pass-rush grade at 82.9, generating two pressures on just seven pass-rush snaps while filling in for Greenlaw.
Rookie defensive end Romello Height recorded the second-highest pass-rush grade (74.6), tying interior force Osa Odighizuwa for a game-high five pressures. Height produced his five pressures across 29 pass-rush snaps, while Odighizuwa generated his five on 39 snaps.
The 49ers defense totaled 27 pressures against Jayden Daniels:
- DE Romello Height, DT Osa Odighizuwa: 5 pressures each
- DE Keion White: 4 pressures
- DT Sebastian Valdez, DE Mykel Williams: 3 pressures each
- FS Ashtyn Davis, LB Jaden Dugger, DE Khalid Kareem: 2 pressures each
- DT Gracen Halton, FS Malik Mustapha, LB Fred Warner: 1 pressure each
Fred Warner posted the unit's lowest pass-rush grade at 50.1 despite logging one pressure on eight blitz snaps.
Run Defense & Coverage: Mustapha Locks Down, Secondary Stumbles
Keion White led the defense with a 72.6 run-defense grade, while edge defender Khalid Kareem registered the lowest mark (34.5).
In coverage, safety Malik Mustapha anchored the secondary with a team-high 71.7 coverage grade among regular defensive backs. Mustapha was targeted only once, resulting in no catches and his game-saving pass breakup on 4th-and-goal in the final two minutes. Cornerback Deommodore Lenoir topped the CB room with a 68.6 coverage grade (2 catches allowed for 18 yards on 2 targets).
On the flip side, safety Ashtyn Davis registered a game-low 28.2 coverage grade after allowing three catches on three targets for 35 yards alongside penalty trouble. Cornerbacks Renardo Green (39.9 overall) and Upton Stout (42.2 overall) also struggled to contain Washington's late passing attack.
Tackling Grades: Warner and Brown Lead Clean Efforts
Fred Warner and safety Ji'Ayir Brown tied for the highest tackling grade on the team at 81.5. Warner logged eight tackles and Brown posted five, with neither defender recording a missed tackle.
Dugger led all players with 11 total tackles, but a team-high three missed tackles dragged his tackling grade down to 51.8. Renardo Green finished with the game's lowest tackling grade (23.2).
Missed Tackles Summary
- LB Jaden Dugger: 3
- FS Ashtyn Davis: 2
- CB Renardo Green: 1