Do you want to hear something scary?
Since 2020, the San Francisco 49ers have drafted just four defensive linemen: Javon Kinlaw, Drake Jackson, Kalia Davis and Robert Beal Jr. To this point, those four players have combined for 13 sacks in 10 mostly forgettable seasons with the team. While Davis and Beal were late round picks that came with lower expectations, Kinlaw (1st round) and Jackson (2nd round) were both taken with the hopes that they would help anchor the trenches for years to come with Arik Armstead and Nick Bosa.
It didn't happen.
The Niners were able to get away with the misses and lack of draft resources across the defensive line for a few years, mainly because of the high level of play from Armstead and Bosa, but also because John Lynch and company made smart moves to get impactful role players like Samson Ebukam, Arden Key and Charles Omenihu. That ended up being a short-term fix though, as Armstead began to age, and the role players moved on.
Fans had become accustomed to the 49ers figuring it out, but if you're not developing your own players, you can only go to the well so many times when it comes to free agency and trades. The miss on Kinlaw (who signed with the New York Jets in 2024) forced the team to make a big money move, agreeing to a free agent deal with an aging Javon Hargrave in 2023. On paper it looked like an impactful acquisition, but Hargrave was never the same guy he was with the Philadelphia Eagles and the Niners ultimately paid $40 million guaranteed for 22 games (including the playoffs) and 9 sacks. The team also made an in-season trade for Chase Young in 2023, in part because of Jackson's performance and injuries, but that was also short-lived. Young walked in free agency after 3.5 sacks in 12 games with San Francisco.
The frustrating part is that Lynch and Kyle Shanahan took the same approach in 2024. Instead of drafting defensive lineman, they went the free agency route again and tried to remake the unit via band-aid acquisitions. While Armstead was let go, Leonard Floyd, Jordan Elliott and Yetur Gross-Matos were all signed to short-term deals and a trade was made for Maliek Collins.
The result was 436 points allowed, the most by a Niner's team since 2016.
So where do John and Kyle go from here? The hope is that they take a look in the mirror and realize that going back to building the team from the inside out is the way it's done. For an example, look no further than the Eagles, who saw six of the defensive linemen and pass rushers they've drafted since 2021 (Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, Jalyx Hunt, Moro Ojomo, Nolan Smith and Milton Williams) all make an impact in 2024 on the way to a Super Bowl championship.
If you're looking for signs of hope, the return of Robert Saleh at defensive coordinator definitely falls into that category. Saleh will have a lot of say in defensive personnel and hopefully it inspires the team to start investing draft capital in the trenches again.