San Francisco 49ers: Patrick Willis Injury Will Test Niners' Depth

San Francisco 49ers all-world middle linebacker Patrick Willis just got helped off the field. It looked like he pulled a hamstring to me. This injury will test the 49ers' depth at middle linebacker.

The next man up is Larry Grant. Grant is in his fourth season out of Ohio State, and he's never been a full-time starter in the NFL. 

What this means to the 49ers right now is that the rest of the front seven must raise their level of play. Not only that, but no Willis means they've lost their leader. Justin Smith and Donte Whitner must rally the troops and become even better.

If this injury is something that will take some time to heal, general manager Trent Baalke might need to consider signing someone to add depth.

This injury is the worst possible thing that could happen to the 49ers. On a scale of 1-10, 10 being the worst, this is an 11. It is something that will take longer than a week or two to heal.

Willis is the best middle linebacker in the NFL, and he holds that distinction without any real threat nipping at his heels. What he does week in and week out has allowed every one of his teammates to do what they are asked to do better. 

He is the definition of a great leader in this sense.

Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio will necessarily need to adjust his gameplanning from now until Willis returns.

With Willis and Navorro Bowman, Fangio was able to call plays where the two linebackers played man defense against their tight ends, allowing the secondary to concentrate on the wide receivers.

Now, the team will be forced to play more zone. Teams like the New Orleans Saints and Green Bay Packers eat zones for breakfast. 

Let's hope Willis' hamstring can make a quick recovery.