As higher-profile contract talks continue between the San Francisco 49ers and quarterback Brock Purdy, the team is still putting in plenty of time looking at ways to upgrade their defensive line, which (like the rest of the 49ers' defensive unit) struggled mightily in 2024.
While the 49ers will have a healthy Nick Bosa to hold down one end of the defensive line, the counterpart position at the other end of the line has been something of a revolving door affair, and with the off-season departure of Leonard Floyd to the Atlanta Falcons, the roster is standing at present with Yetur Gross-Matos and Sam Okuayinonu as principal opposite-side edge rushers.
The 49ers will certainly be looking at the prospect of adding one or two talented defensive linemen in the upcoming draft, but speculation remains high that a trade for an established defensive end remains a distinct possibility for the 49ers, talented rookies or no.
In a Bleacher Report article released this weekend, reporter Kristopher Knox suggested the 49ers may make a purposeful push to add Cincinnati Bengals' All-Pro defensive end Trey Hendrickson. Knox sees the 49ers as a solid fit, both in terms of banked draft capital and in positional need.
"San Francisco is equipped with two third-round [compensatory] picks awarded for the external hirings of DeMeco Ryans and Ran Carthon," Knox wrote. "It could offer both selections, along with a fairly sizeable first-round jump, to Cincinnati for Hendrickson."
Hendrickson, a third-round draft pick by the New Orleans Saints in 2017, has been with the Bengals since 2021, and is entering the final year of his contract with Cincinnati. His stock as a starting pass rusher has steadily risen over the past several years, culminating with an All-Pro season last year. He's now looking to get paid for that exceptional play, and the Bengals appear a bit unmotivated to accommodate. The two sides are currently slogged down in contract talks, and there seems to be a lowered expectation now that Hendrickson will remain in Cincinnati, especially given the heavy financial investment the team recently made in its tandem of wide receivers, Tee Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase.
While Cincinnati's defensive unit didn't perform any better than the 49ers' defense in 2024, last season was still a very good one for Hendrickson individually. He led the league in sacks with 17.5, including a 4-sack game against the Las Vegas Raiders. Pairing the 31-year-old Hendrickson with Bosa would be an immediate elevation of talent on the 49ers' softened defensive line. It would also allow the 49ers extended time to work a rookie edge rusher or two into the rotation this season.
Knox's hypothetical transaction would involve a swap of 2025 first-round picks (the 49ers' 11th for the Bengals' 17th) along with a pair of third-round compensatory picks the 49ers hold from earlier personnel departures.
If Hendrickson and the Bengals remain too far apart on a contract extension in the coming weeks, he could potentially sit out, which would raise the likelihood that the team would look for a trade. Hendrickson's remaining contract year is slated to bring him $15.8 million in base salary for 2025.