The 49ers have fine-tuned their defense with some strategic additions through free agency and the draft. They are optimistic that these enhancements will elevate their ranking from last season’s top 13 to breaking into the top 10.

A crucial factor for achieving this improvement is maintaining player health, an area that proved challenging last year when key players such as Nick Bosa, Mykel Williams, and Fred Warner were sidelined due to injuries.

Fortunately, all three players are on the path to recovery, and their consistent presence on the field would significantly bolster the 49ers’ defensive performance.

Here’s an overview of the 49ers’ defensive lineup following their recent offseason moves:

Defensive end

Starters: Nick Bosa, Mykel Williams

Reserves: Romello Height, Keion White, Sam Okuayinonu, Mikail Kamara, Andrew Farmer, Cameron Sample, William Bradley-King

The skinny: It’s still a jolt realizing the 49ers managed just 20 sacks last year. Not to make excuses but losing Bosa and Williams clearly played a major role. Knee injuries limited Bosa to three games and Williams, their 2025 first-round pick, to nine games. Both are on track to be back in 2026. That will make a massive difference. Height is expected to offer immediate help as a rotational rusher.

Bottom line: If this room stays healthy, there’s no chance the 49ers finish with 20 sacks this year. If they get back to the normal way they pressure quarterbacks, it changes everything about their defense.

Defensive tackle

Starters: Alfred Collins, Osa Odighizuwa

Reserves: CJ West, Evan Anderson, Sebastian Valdez, Bryson Eason, James Thompson Jr., Gracen Halton

The skinny: The addition of Odighizuwa, whom the 49ers acquired in a trade with the Cowboys, adds plenty of punch to their interior pass rush. He has a knack for getting heat on the quarterback, and along with Collins and West, a pair of 2025 draft picks, helps fortify that part of the 49ers’ defense for the interim and future.

Bottom line: The 49ers have done a solid job rebuilding the interior of their defense and in the process laid the groundwork for a young, athletic, productive rotation.

Linebacker

Starters: Fred Warner, Dre Greenlaw

Reserves: Nick Martin, Tatum Bethune, Garret Wallow, Jaden Dugger, Jalen Graham, Milo Eifler, Luke Gifford

The skinny: Much like their defensive line, the 49ers were ravaged by injuries at linebacker. Specifically, Warner. He played just six games due to a dislocated and broken right ankle. Again, that is a personnel loss that teams can’t easily overcome. He’s back, as is Greenlaw, who returns on a one-year contract, and as a result, the 49ers’ linebacker room looks whole again.

Bottom line: This room looks solid with Greenlaw and Warner back in the fold, but Martin can really strengthen this group by stepping up in his second season. Bethune and Wallow also have chances to earn rotational roles.

Cornerback

Starters: Deommodore Lenoir, Renardo Green, Upton Stout

Reserves: Jack Jones, Nate Hobbs, Eli Apple, Darrell Luter Jr., Ephesians Prysock, Siran Neal, Tre Tomlinson, Jakob Robinson, Derrick Canteen

The skinny: The 49ers’ cornerback room took a decidedly Raiders-like look with the additions of Hobbs and Jones, who played well together in Las Vegas. Both have starting experience, but even if they just bolster the depth, it could go a long way. When healthy, Hobbs has been a solid slot cornerback, although staying on the field has been a challenge for him. Green and Stout could have a fight on their hands holding onto their starting jobs.

Bottom line: It remains to be seen how much Jones and Hobbs will affect starter snaps, but their additions clearly bolster the top-to-bottom quality of the 49ers’ cornerback room.

Safety

Starters: Malik Mustapha, Ji’Ayir Brown

Reserves: Marques Sigle, Darrick Forrest, Jalen Stroman, Patrick McMorris

The skinny: Mustapha has developed into a solid starter after being selected in the fourth round, but Brown needs to be more consistent. Could a path open for Sigle to take his job? He played relatively well after being drafted in the fifth round last year.

Bottom line: Again, if the pass rush improves because players stay healthy, it’s going to help the entire defense, including the back end. The personnel is on hand to make it work at a decent clip.

An intense 18-second altercation reportedly unfolded in the cockpit of the ill-fated China Eastern Airlines flight just before it crashed into a mountainside, according to an Italian newspaper.

Evidence gathered by the National Transportation Safety Board during their probe into the 2022 tragedy suggests a struggle ensued, with one individual in the cockpit attempting to lift the plane while another forced it downward.

This China Eastern flight met its tragic end on March 21, 2022, as it journeyed from Kunming to Guangzhou, resulting in the loss of all 132 passengers and crew members.

Corriere della Sera, referencing sources close to the investigation, reported that the cockpit voice recorder captured sounds of screams, rapid breathing, and what seemed like a confrontation or struggle in the moments leading up to the crash.

The publication further detailed that flight data analysis revealed both engines had been turned off before someone pushed the control column forward, causing the plane to plummet sharply.

The report said another person inside the cockpit then appeared to pull the controls in the opposite direction in an apparent attempt to regain control of the aircraft.

It remains unclear who was carrying out the actions. There were three people in the cockpit at the time. The captain, the first officer and an observing pilot.

The China Eastern flight crashed on March 21, 2022 while travelling from Kunming to Guangzhou, killing all 132 passengers and crew on board

Shocking CCTV footage emerged on social media showing the jet racing vertically towards the ground in the moments before the smash

Corriere reported that the struggle lasted around 18 seconds before the aircraft’s black box stopped recording flight data.

The claims emerged after newly released information from American investigators suggested both engines on the Boeing jet had been deliberately shut off before the crash.

In response to a public records request, the National Transportation Safety Board released a report detailing what was recovered from the aircraft’s flight data recorder. 

The NTSB became involved in the Chinese investigation because the plane and engines were made by American companies and the US investigators are regarded as the world’s leading experts on analyzing black boxes after a crash.

The report offers the best explanation yet about what caused the crash and confirms news stories at the time suggesting the crew may have played a role after Chinese investigators said they did not immediately find a problem with the plane.

Aviation safety experts agree that the data shows the fuel to both engines was cut off and someone sent the plane into a nosedive and a 360-degree roll.

But it does not conclusively show exactly what happened because the Civil Aviation Administration of China has yet to release its final report more than four years later. 

International standards call for investigators to strive to release their report by roughly a year after a crash. The NTSB report was released May 1.

By design the fuel levers in a 737 cannot be easily bumped or shut off inadvertently – someone has to pull them out to release them before they will move. 

According to Corriere della Sera, analysis of the aircraft’s flight data indicated that both engines were shut down before somebody pushed the control column forward, sending the jet into a steep nosedive

Rescuers work at the site of a plane crash on March 24, 2022 in Tengxian County

John Cox, CEO of Safety Operating Systems, said the levers lock into place, so it’s likely that someone deliberately moved them both to the cutoff position.

The data ended while the plane was still at 26,000 feet (7,900 meters) of altitude after the flight recorder and all the plane’s hydraulic systems lost power.

The cockpit voice recorder, which continued working because it had a battery backup, could also help shed light, but the NTSB did not release a transcript of what it found on those recordings. 

It is up to Chinese authorities to release those details.

Jeff Guzzetti, who formerly investigated crashes for the NTSB and the Federal Aviation Administration, said the flight data suggests a struggle and the crash could have been a pilot suicide. 

There have been a number of previous instances of that, including a Germanwings flight that crashed into the French alps in 2015, killing everyone aboard.

‘Typically when you want to roll an airplane, it’s a smooth movement of the control wheel in one direction. 

‘But here you have it moving back and forth, back and forth, as if someone is trying to counter the initial movement of the roll,’ Guzzetti said. ‘So it’s not conclusive, but it sure has the earmarks of a struggle in the cockpit.’

The details about this crash will renew longstanding industry concerns about how to ensure pilots’ mental health.

The plane carrying the second black box of the crashed China Eastern Airlines Flight MU5735 arrives at Beijing Capital International Airport on March 27, 2022 in Beijing

Part of the wreckage of the China Eastern passenger jet which crashed onto a mountainside

Many are reluctant to come forward and seek help for fear they could lose their medical certification and be grounded. 

Getting recertified can take months or longer during which a grounded pilot is not getting paid. Meanwhile some countries prohibit pilots from taking common psychiatric medicines such as antidepressants.

‘Clearly pilots – and very understandably so – are oftentimes reluctant to come forward, knowing that to get recertified after having gone through a mental health evaluation, it can be very arduous and very lengthy,’ Cox said.

Guzzetti said the co-pilot of an Egypt Air plane that crashed in 1999 is believed to have deliberately sent it into the ocean off New York. 

In 2023, in an incident that did not end in a crash, an off-duty pilot who took psychedelic mushrooms days beforehand tried to cut the engines of a Horizon Air flight while riding off-duty in the cockpit.

The jet was flying from Kunming in the southwest to Guangzhou, near Hong Kong, when it went into a nosedive at about 8,800 meters (29,000 feet), appeared to recover but then slammed into the mountain. 

The crash left a 65-foot (20-meter) crater and set the forest on fire.

The crew reported no problems before losing contact with air traffic control. Chinese investigators said no abnormalities were found among the plane or crew or with outside elements such as bad weather.

Cox also said the new report from the NTSB does not indicate any problem with the plane.

The March 21, 2022, crash was a rare failure for the Chinese airline industry, which dramatically improved safety following deadly crashes in the 1990s. China Eastern is one of four major state-owned airlines in the country.

Fox News presents “Antisemitism Exposed,” a newsletter that delves into the increasing instances of anti-Jewish sentiment both in the United States and globally.

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS:
– NYPD unveils video footage of four individuals suspected in a spree of hate-driven graffiti
– Controversial professor advocates for ‘Death to America’ at Virginia Tech
– Germany alerts that Islamist and far-left narratives are fueling a rise in antisemitic assaults

LEADING STORY: The NYPD is actively searching for a quartet of suspects in connection with an antisemitic graffiti spree in Queens. The incidents involved spray-painting swastikas on various synagogues, residences, vehicles, and a Holocaust memorial plaque over five occasions. Surveillance videos capture the suspects fleeing the scenes. The NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force is spearheading the investigation, with city leaders condemning the acts as intentional expressions of bigotry.

On Tuesday, the NYPD shared new surveillance footage revealing four suspects wanted for allegedly carrying out antisemitic graffiti in five separate instances categorized as hate-fueled criminal mischief. (NYPD)

VIDEO REPORT: Fox News national correspondent Garrett Tenney covers a rally led by leftist influencer Hasan Piker alongside Michigan Democratic Senate hopeful Abdul El-Sayed. Analysis is provided by OutKick founder Clay Travis on ‘The Faulkner Focus.’ WATCH HERE:

RAGING RADICAL: Former Columbia professor Mohamed Abdou urged students to dismantle the “U.S. empire,” praising the October 7 attacks as a “blessed day.” Despite university claims the event was unregistered, Abdou told attendees they are part of a “religious war,” urging them to disrupt American supply chains and defense industries.

HATE WAVE: German officials warn that Islamist and far-left extremists are driving a dangerous spike in antisemitism by exploiting Middle East tensions. Incidents including verbal abuse and vandalism have become a “new normal,” leaving Jewish communities feeling isolated and increasingly fearful for their safety despite Germany’s historical responsibility toward protecting Jewish life.

A person carries an Israeli flag during a protest against antisemitism at the Brandenburg Gate, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Berlin, Germany.  REUTERS/Lisi Niesner (REUTERS/Lisi Niesner)

PROF GETS BOOT: The University of Washington removed Aria Fani as Middle East Center director after he used a school listserv to call Zionism “cancerous” and criticize Israel. Fani, who remains an associate professor, claimed his dismissal followed pressure from pro-Israel groups. The university cited positional requirements and privacy for the decision.

CANCELED ON CAMPUS: Georgetown Law commencement speaker Morton Schapiro withdrew after students launched a petition condemning his pro-Israel views and lack of legal background. Schapiro, a former university president, stepped down to avoid distracting from the ceremony. He was replaced by Professor David Cole, an ACLU veteran known for defending pro-Palestinian speech rights. 

GUEST EDITORIAL: Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, an Israeli civil rights attorney and president of the Shurat HaDin Law Center, warns that Britain’s antisemitism crisis could trigger legal reckoning at home and abroad. While some Jews are considering legal action to force the government to protect them, many Jewish families have already decided to move to Israel, she writes.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “”Mr. El-Sayed not only is spewing hate, but he’s spewing it at political conventions and everywhere. With our history in Michigan, it’s shameful. He’s not a qualified candidate. It’s time for the Jewish community, and, for that matter every other community, to stand up and say no, and enough is enough.” – Michigan resident Steve Cohen on Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed.

– Looking for more on this topic? Find more antisemitism coverage from Fox News here.

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OKLAHOMA CITY — The annals of NBA history are filled with standout coaching decisions that have left lasting impacts on the game.

One such moment came when Rick Carlisle decided to start J.J. Barea for the Mavericks midway through the 2011 NBA Finals, a bold move against the formidable Heat’s “Big 3.”

Another notable strategic shift occurred during the 2015 NBA Finals, when Steve Kerr placed Andre Iguodala into the Warriors’ starting lineup, helping them recover from a 2-1 deficit against the Cavaliers.

However, for Lakers coach JJ Redick, his achievement of overcoming the defending champion Thunder in the Western Conference semifinals without the star presence of Luka Doncic is arguably even more remarkable.

In just his first two years of coaching at any level, Redick has demonstrated significant potential. He has managed to lead the Lakers to consecutive 50-win seasons. His ability to guide an injury-plagued team past the Rockets in the first round, even without his top scorers, speaks volumes about his coaching acumen.

But beating the reigning champion Thunder? This assignment is different.

For Redick to do the impossible, he must prove that he can outthink a machine. 

A cold, precise and relentless machine. 

But don’t take our word for it. Take Redick’s. He said it out loud. 

“The Thunder are one of the greatest teams ever in NBA history. That’s just the reality, they’re that good,” a brutally honest Redick said. “They are a well-oiled machine.”

Part of what makes that machine move is that the Thunder don’t just beat you — they suffocate you to death. They force turnovers, they clog passing lanes, they switch on the perimeter, and when you try to drive to the basket, they’ll block your shot back to last week. 

And as Redick pointed out, they do all of that without committing fouls. 

“They’re top five in every disruptive category … and they don’t foul,” Redick said.

Read between the lines, and that’s not analysis, that’s a warning flare to the officials. 

It gives off vintage Phil Jackson vibes. Say something to the media loud enough that it echoes into the officiating crew’s subconscious. Redick knows he’ll need every little edge he can get to beat OKC, and in the playoffs, edges don’t exist unless you manufacture them.

Because on paper, there isn’t a single area in which OKC is vulnerable. 

“They don’t have a weakness,” Redick admitted.

He’s right. The Thunder are young, fast and deep. They defend without fouling. They can kill you in the half court or in transition. They protect the rim. They shoot 3s at a high clip. They guard the perimeter. And they have the reigning MVP in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who can glide to the paint like a whisper and shoot free throws like clockwork. Around the league, they call him “the foul merchant.”

Redick sees it. Opposing coaches see it. But the question is: Can you stop it?

Redick was asked how the Lakers can win this series. His answer was plain and simple. 

“Belief, attention to detail and poise.” 

Simple words that hide an impossible assignment. For the Lakers to win this series, they need to shoot greater than 40% from 3. They have to defend at an elite level against the best offense in basketball. They need to limit their live-ball turnovers, and they need to stop the Thunder’s runs before they blink and are down double digits.

They failed at all three in Game 1.

“They’re really good at runs … limiting their runs is going to be really important,” Redick said.

Easier said than done. Like threading a needle in the middle of a hurricane.

Similar to his players on the court, there’s no margin for error for Redick when coaching. Everything he does must be perfect to beat OKC. The timing of his timeouts. His rotation gambles. Trusting the right player to stay on the court for one extra minute. Subbing out the wrong one a possession too late. To win the series, it won’t be about schemes or X’s and O’s. It’s about the little decisions he makes in short five-second windows that will come with consequences that will reverberate for quarters. 

Unfortunately for Redick, he could coach brilliantly and the Lakers will still lose in five. 

That’s not a failure, either. That’s reality. 

The Lakers were swept by the Thunder in the regular season by an average of nearly 30 points per game. It’s the largest margin of victory by any teams in a playoff series in NBA history. That didn’t magically disappear in Game 1 when they lost by 18.

So for Redick, what defines success at the end of this series?

Steal a game and you’ve disrupted the narrative for a day.

Win two and you’ve earned respect. 

Push it to seven and we might need to change the Coach of the Year Award winner this season. 

Win the series and we can enshrine him into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame tomorrow. 

Because if Redick upsets this version of the Thunder without Doncic, then it isn’t just an upset, it’s the best coaching performance of all time. It would be studied and analyzed forever.

Until then, Redick is staring straight into the eye of a storm, clipboard in hand, trying to outthink a well-oiled machine that crushes everything in its path. 

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