Omenihu doesn't see ‘any holes' in elite 49ers defense

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Heading into his second season with the 49ers, Charles Omenihu is done adjusting to the visiting locker room at NRG Stadium where the club closed out their final 2022 preseason contest.

Before San Francisco acquired Omenihu in a trade with the Texans midway through the 2021 season, the pass rusher had spent his first two and a half NFL seasons with Houston, The 25-year-old told NBC Sports Bay Area he is feeling more comfortable heading into his second season with the 49ers and maybe even more so after his performance in the exhibition finale. 

“I think it’s a lot of change in my body, first and foremost,” Omenihu said. “Another year in the system, and understanding how to play it. The Minnesota game I had a couple of runs get outside of me, and it was simply just alignment. 

“It was on my mind a lot, so I wanted to make sure coming into this game not to make the same mistake twice.” 

Omenihu finished the preseason finale against his former team by registering a quarterback sack, a hit and three tackles for loss. While the 17-0 loss to the Texans wasn’t a high-level performance all around, Omenihu was one of the bright spots. 

“I go out there, and I have a really good run play, and I feel like I had good edge sets,” Omenihu said. “So the thought process of me not able to contain things can die, because that’s not going to be an issue.” 

Omenihu shared that his understanding of how to play in the 49ers' defensive system with his style and ability is a work in progress. The University of Texas product added that getting reps during training camp and in preseason contests has been valuable. 

And with the talent level and depth on the 49ers' defensive front, Omenihu said he will need to be at the top of his game to get a significant amount of snaps during the season. The pass rusher believes that there are at least eight players in the club’s defensive line room that would all be starters on other teams. 

It’s not only the defensive line, either. Omenihu believes that with the addition of free-agent cornerback Charvarius Ward (a.k.a. Mooney) to the 49ers' secondary and the development of the remainder of the group, the 49ers' defense is a solid unit.

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“I think we are a really good defense,” Omenihu said. “I thought we were a really good defense last year, but with Mooney coming in, you’ve got that one-two punch at corner. We’ve got the one of the best linebacking corps in the league. I really don’t see any holes.” 

Obviously Omenihu knows that the team can look great on paper, but it will be the execution that counts. As long as they stay on top of their game as a whole -- with communication as key -- the 49ers' defense could be set for a very productive season. 

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