Bryce Huff made an encouraging first impression in his San Francisco 49ers preseason debut on Saturday night. Despite playing only nine snaps, the defensive end recorded a quarterback pressure and a hurry, earning a respectable 67.8 defensive grade from Pro Football Focus.
The 49ers hope Huff can add much-needed consistency to a pass rush that struggled at times last season, complementing All-Pro Nick Bosa along the opposite edge of the defensive front.
Defensive line coach Kris Kocurek spoke with reporters after Tuesday's practice about Huff's potential and early flashes in training camp.
"Especially, early on, probably the first five practices, you could just really see the explosion and the speed in his lower body was different," Kocurek said.
San Francisco acquired Huff in a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles, where he spent just one season after a career year with the New York Jets in 2023. That season, Huff notched 10 sacks under head coach Robert Saleh—now the 49ers' defensive coordinator.
In 2024, Huff never seemed to mesh with Philadelphia's scheme.
"He just didn't fit as well in their scheme, and just what they do schematically and stuff," head coach Kyle Shanahan explained in June. "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."
With the 49ers, Huff is returning to his natural stance—hand in the dirt, eyes on the quarterback, and focused solely on disrupting the backfield.
Kocurek admitted the grind of training camp briefly took a toll on Huff's explosiveness, but the defensive end is regaining his burst.
"Now, he's got his legs back underneath him, and like, the last three practices, you've really seen the speed and explosion," Kocurek said.
The 49ers believe Huff's quick first step and ability to close space on offensive linemen could make him a dangerous weapon in their pass rush rotation.
"I'm really excited to keep working with him," Kocurek added.
If Huff's early flashes are any indication, the 49ers may have found a perfect rotational piece opposite Bosa.