This probably isn’t what you want to read.

If the 49ers can’t hire Robert Saleh as their next defensive coordinator, they likely will promote assistant head coach Brandon Staley to the position.

Saleh clearly is the 49ers’ top choice, but he currently is a candidate for three different head-coaching vacancies — the Raiders, the Cowboys and the Jaguars. He currently has a second interview scheduled with the Jaguars scheduled for Friday. So the 49ers might have to wait for Saleh for a while.

In the meantime, most of the top defensive coordinator candidates will get scooped up. In the past few days, Jeff Ulbrich has become the Falcons defensive coordinator, Lou Anarumo has become the Colts defensive coordinator and Dennis Allen has become the Chicago Bears defensive coordinator. So if the 49ers don’t land Saleh, they probably have many other candidates to choose from.

Staley is not an exciting candidate. He was an abject failure as the Chargers head coach, which is why he had to take a job as the 49ers assistant head coach. No other team has shown interest in him as a defensive coordinator during this hiring cycle, so if the 49ers promote him, they will have promoted someone that no one else wanted for the second season in a row.

If the 49ers ultimately make Staley their defensive coordinator, don’t be surprised if they miss the playoffs next season, too. They need an infusion of ideas and enthusiasm that Staley simply cannot provide.

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