The San Francisco 49ers appear to have taken a step back this offseason, watching several key contributors depart for other teams in free agency. While fans were disheartened to see favorites like linebacker Dre Greenlaw leave, no unit was hit harder than the defensive line.
As a result, Pro Football Focus contributor Bradley Locker believes the 49ers must use multiple draft picks to bolster their defensive front.
"Not long ago, the 49ers fielded one of the more impressive defensive lines in football," Locker wrote. "But as Robert Saleh begins his second tenure as San Francisco's defensive coordinator, that couldn't be any further from the truth."
While the team still has star pass rusher Nick Bosa, most casual fans would struggle to name another 49ers defensive lineman. Already viewed as a position needing improvement, the situation worsened after the team released Javon Hargrave, Leonard Floyd, and Maliek Collins.
"In fact, besides Bosa, no 49ers returning defensive lineman totaled even 25 quarterback pressures last season," Locker wrote. "San Francisco could use another dynamic edge defender as well as multiple effective players on the inside, and general manager John Lynch would be smart to take one of each before the end of Day 2."
The defensive line isn't the only area of concern this offseason. A significant roster exodus has created depth issues across the board. The team could target an offensive tackle with its first-round pick—No. 11 overall—but there are needs at several positions that could be addressed with later selections, making it challenging to rebuild the defensive front.
If the 49ers hope to compete in 2025, they must rely on a strong incoming draft class.