One of the biggest perceived areas of concern on the San Francisco 49ers roster is the lack of a legitimate pass rusher. The defense managed just 30 combined sacks last season and ranked 26th in the league when it came to bringing down opposing quarterbacks.
The 49ers passed on drafting a dedicated pass rusher in April. Instead, they seem content with relying on names like Cassius Marsh, Jeremiah Attaochu, and others to prove they can handle the task.
Defensive coordinator Robert Saleh remains hopeful that a pass rush will develop this season. They have even experimented with defensive lineman DeForest Buckner on the edge in specific packages to find a way to generate more pressure on the outside.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan was asked during a conference call with the media on Sunday if the 49ers have discussed ways to upgrade the position.
"We want to upgrade everything," Shanahan responded. "If there's something at the end of this situation that we feel will help us and make us better, and it makes sense contractually to where we think it helps our team this year and going forward in the future, that's something that we won't hesitate to do at every position. We have a responsibility to do that at every position, not just pass rusher."
What about possibly bringing back Elvis Dumervil, who San Francisco parted ways with in March? He was responsible for a team-high 6.5 sacks in 2017, and his 105.5 sacks over his 12-year NFL career ranks 26th all-time.
"Elvis is a guy who I have a lot of confidence in," Shanahan said. "He did a great job for us last year. If we felt like that was the right opportunity at the end of this, then Elvis is a guy that John (Lynch) and I wouldn't hesitate to reach out to."
