The San Francisco 49ers made a significant move this offseason in their effort to retool the defensive front. After selecting three defensive linemen in the 2025 NFL Draft, including standout pass rusher Mykel Williams, the team acquired defensive end Bryce Huff in a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Huff is just one season removed from a breakout 2023 campaign with the New York Jets, where he recorded 10 sacks under then-head coach Robert Saleh, who has now returned to the 49ers as defensive coordinator. However, Huff struggled in his lone year with the Eagles, a situation attributed mainly to a poor scheme fit. The hope is that reuniting with Saleh will reignite the edge rusher's effectiveness.
Speaking with reporters on Tuesday as the 49ers opened their two-day mandatory minicamp, head coach Kyle Shanahan shared glowing praise for Huff's explosiveness.
"I just like Bryce. I think he affects the quarterback," Shanahan said. "When you talk about just getting off the ball and how fast he does it, he'll be our best get-off-the-ball guy we've had since Dee Ford. So in terms of that, it's good to beat tackles that way, but it also widens tackles to help with the inside pass rush and things like that, and he affects the quarterback."
As for Huff's underwhelming stint in Philadelphia, Shanahan wasn't concerned, chalking it up to a system mismatch more than a decline in talent.
"He just didn't fit as well in their scheme, and just what they do schematically and stuff," Shanahan explained. "I think they wanted to go a different direction with stuff. Their outside guys drop into coverage and things like that, being the 3-4 base, and that's something we really never do, so it's a little bit different.
"But as far as just watching him on tape and stuff, he always kind of looked the same. I just don't think the opportunities were there for him."
Veteran left tackle Trent Williams, who routinely squares off with elite pass rushers, also believes Huff brings a much-needed presence on the edge opposite Nick Bosa.
"He's going to bring that speed demon off the edge, that guy that is going to require running back or a chip opposite of Nick," Williams said. "And having the additions that we do, especially with Mykel, who can go both inside and outside—and [DE] Yetur [Gross-Matos]—getting all those guys on the field, I think he adds kind of that Dee Ford effect that they had in '19 that took them to the Super Bowl.
"One of the reasons we had a really, really good defense for those couple of years is having that guy who can actually make that quarterback step up by getting a good jump off the ball and being able to bend the edge."
Cornerback Deommodore Lenoir echoed the optimistic outlook surrounding Huff's addition.
"I know he's going to be a guy for us," Lenoir said. "I'm familiar with his work, with him being with the Eagles and the Jets. I know he's going to be a player for us, so it was a great addition to have him come over here and just help out on the defense."
With a reloaded defensive line and a scheme that better suits his skill set, Huff could be poised for another impactful season under Saleh.