The San Francisco 49ers have officially announced the trade for defensive end Jordan Willis of the New York Jets. The team sends a sixth-round draft pick in 2022 to the Jets in exchange for Willis, but receives a seventh-round draft pick in 2021.
While news of the trade was reported last week, San Francisco could not officially announce the move until after Willis cleared COVID-19 protocols and a physical.
The 49ers Communications staff provided the following rundown.
Willis (6-4, 270) was originally drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the third round (73rdoverall) of the 2017 NFL Draft. During his four-year career with the Bengals (2017-19) and Jets (2019-20), he has appeared in 43 games (two starts) and registered 52 tackles, 3.0 sacks, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and one pass defensed.
Willis was waived by the Bengals on September 10, 2019 and claimed off waivers by the Jets the following day. This season with the Jets, he appeared in two games and registered one fumble recovery.
A 25-year-old native of Kansas City, MO, Willis attended Kansas State University (2013-16) where he appeared in 48 games (39 starts) and finished with 114 tackles, 40.5 tackles for loss, 26.0 sacks and seven forced fumbles. As a senior in 2016, he earned Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year honors after registering 52 tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks.