San Francisco 49ers Look Primed To Improve Interception Tally In 2022

The San Francisco 49ers have had one the best defenses in the NFL in recent seasons, but one area in which they have not always excelled is in creating turnovers through interceptions. The early days of their training camp ahead of the 2022 suggest that could be about to change.

San Francisco’s defense has been a top-10 unit by Football Outsiders DVOA in each of the last three years. However, in that same span—which has seen the Niners reach two NFC Championship Games and Super Bowl LIV—it has totaled only 33 interceptions, tied for 21st in the NFL.

Yet the first four practices of 49ers training camp have seen their defense create takeaways at an eye-catching rate.

Indeed, according to David Lombardi of The Athletic, the 49ers have racked up 10 interceptions across their first four practices. A massive improvement on 2021, when Lombardi tallied San Francisco as generating 11 interceptions in 15 camp practices.

Their strides in that regard can in part be attributed to new starter Trey Lance enduring ups and down as he adapts to facing one of the most ferocious defensive fronts in the NFL, while Nate Sudfeld and Brock Purdy have also had their struggles.

But the difference between this year and last is also down to the strides made by a secondary that has increased depth and has added a new starter in the form of Charvarius Ward who is already living up to expectations following his arrival from the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Athletic’s Matt Barrows labelled Ward as the “after-four-days MVP” of training camp while defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans praised him from for raising the level of competition in the secondary.

Ward’s penchant for sticky coverage and making plays on the ball has also rubbed off on his team-mates in San Francisco’s defensive backfield.

Safeties Talanoa Hufanga and Tarvarius Moore and cornerback Ambry Thomas— looking to make a second-year leap after an impressive end to his rookie season—have all got in on the act in picking off passes from the San Francisco quarterbacks.

The ability of the 49er defensive front to create consistent pressure should mean opportunities to create turnovers should be plentiful in the regular season.

Translating that ruthlessness in converting those chances in camp to the games that matter will be the challenge for the San Francisco defense and the Niners’ level of success in substantially improving their ability to force mistakes from other quarterbacks will have a large bearing on Lance’s room for error in his first season as a starter.