The San Francisco 49ers splashed in free agency by addressing a need at the cornerback position. The 49ers and former Kansas City Chief Charvarius Ward agreed to a three-year deal worth $42 million. Having Ward in the cornerback room makes the secondary more of a lock. Ward, Emmanuel Moseley, Ambry Thomas, and Deommodore Lenoir should have a great camp. In addition, look for the 49ers to re-sign cornerbacks K'Waun Williams and Dontae Johnson to play in the slot.
The next position the 49ers should address is the edge. The edge-rushing position has one job: making the quarterback's time in the pocket unpleasant. Whether it is providing pressure to make the quarterback rush a throw or getting home with the sack, the edge position is arguably the third most important position on the team. Nick Bosa is arguably a top-five edge-rusher in the NFL. However, the 49ers need to add some help on the other side so Bosa can become the number one edge rusher in the NFL. The 49ers in 2021 recorded a total of 48 sacks. Twenty-nine of those sacks were earned by the edge rushers. Nick Bosa had 15.5 sacks, Arden Key had 6.5, Samson Ebukam had 4.5, and Dee Ford, Kentavius Street, and Jordan Willis had three apiece, totaling nine sacks. Street recently signed with the New Orleans Saints.
If Ford, Key, and Willis don't play in 2022, that's a little less than half of the total edge rusher's sacks in 2021, totaling at 15.5 sacks, which equals the number of sacks Bosa had alone.
The 49ers still have two edge rushers available in free agency—Key and Willis. Ford's status is health pending, and that leaves the 49ers with three edge rushers—Bosa, Ebukam, and Omenihu. Omenuihu was a mid-season trade from the Houston Texans, but there was no production in the sack department. In the postseason, he did record 1.5 sacks, so there may be some upside to his performance in 2022.
The 49ers will more than likely address the pash rushing position in the draft. With the draft class being a deep one, San Francisco could easily find a specific type of edge rusher to cater to Ryan's defense. The 49ers could also address the situation by getting a pass rusher in free agency.
There are three categories that I look for when grading pass rushers—sacks, hurries, and total pressures. The first option the 49ers should look at adding to this pass rush is 29-year-old free agent Jadeveon Clowney. Clowney was the former first pick in the 2014 draft. In 2021, Clowney had 24 solo tackles, 13 assisted tackles, nine sacks, two forced fumbles, 32 hurries, ten hits, and 53 total pressures. Though health tends to be a concern for Clowney, in 2021, he played every game for the Browns, and his addition to the Browns allowed edge rusher, Myles Garrett, to have a record-breaking year.
The next option is 28-year-old free agent Dante Fowler Jr. Fowler was a former first-round pick in the 2015 draft. In 2021, he recorded 21 solo tackles, 15 assisted tackles, 4.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, 20 hurries, five hits, and 30 total pressures. Fowler is another guy who can demand extra attention from the offensive line. Fowler was placed on injured reserve after suffering a knee injury in the Falcons' win over the Jets. When healthy, Fowler can be a force with his speed and power opposite side Nick Bosa.
The former first-round pick in the 2017 draft, Derek Barnett, is another option for the 49ers. Barnett is 25 years old with quick, solid hands and power. In 2021, he recorded 20 solo tackles, 26 assisted tackles, two sacks, 12 hits, 19 hurries, and 33 total pressures. Barnett is good at setting the edge against the run. He may not record many sacks, but he brings the explosives on every down.
Arden Key in 2021 had his best NFL season to date. The soon-to-be 26-year-old former third-round pick in the 2018 draft recorded ten solo tackles, six assisted tackles, 6.5 sacks, 14 hits, 14 hurries, and 36 total pressures. In 2021, Key ranked second in sacks for the 49ers. He may have priced himself out of San Francisco, but once the dust begins to settle in free agency, I wouldn't be too surprised if the 49ers made him a generous offer.
After watching the Los Angeles Rams traded for a premier pass rusher mid-season, and win the Super Bowl, let's hope the 49ers evaluate the film and get the pass rusher that compliments their young phenom. In 2021, it was Clowney/Garrett, Miller/ Donald, Graham/Barnett, Jarrett/Fowler, and Bosa/Key. Do the 49ers have the pairing already in camp between Ford, Omenihu, and Ebukam? Will the 49ers wait and look to see who's available in the draft. Should the 49ers sign one of these four free agents to provide Bosa with some relief?
