The San Francisco 49ers may have enough bodies along the defensive line. Whether they have enough players who can consistently get after the quarterback is another question. That's the concern Matt Barrows of The Athletic raised recently, and it's one that could end up having a major impact on the 49ers' defense this season.
Barrows believes edge rusher is the weakest position on the team. That might sound surprising considering Nick Bosa is still on the roster, but Bosa's health is a huge part of the equation. "We haven't seen Nick Bosa since August 3rd," Barrows said.
It's no wonder much of the fan base is joining Barrows in his concern. Bosa is dealing with tendinitis, and while the expectation is that he'll be ready to play when the 49ers open the regular season in Australia, there's no guarantee the issue will simply disappear. Barrows pointed to a scenario that could potentially play out during the season. What if Bosa gets ready, plays a full game in Australia, makes the 16-hour trip back to the Bay Area and then the tendinitis flares up again? Barrows believes that could become a recurring problem. "I can easily see that as a repetitive thing all year," he said. "It's not a great situation."
That puts a lot of pressure on the players behind Bosa. And according to Barrows, the 49ers didn't do enough this offseason to protect themselves from that possibility.
"They did not protect themselves from the fact that their Pro Bowl defensive end has now had three ACLs and two in the same knee," Barrows said. "They basically replaced Bryce Huff. That's what they did in the offseason. They replaced Huff and really didn't add to the position from last year. I think that ultimately is gonna be a mistake."
Larry Krueger of KNBR seems concerned as well, posting on X, "Why get edge rush help? The 49ers were 32nd in sacks in 2025 by a country mile, and added zero proven edge rushers? That's pure negligence. Why roster so many young DBs if you're just going to throw them to the wolves with very little pass rush up front?"
On Saturday, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area predicted that the 49ers will keep 10 defensive linemen on the roster:
- Nick Bosa
- Osa Odighizuwa
- Alfred Collins
- Romello Height
- Keion White
- Sam Okuayinonu
- C.J. West
- Gracen Halton
- Bryson Eason
- James Thompson Jr.
Mykel Williams is expected to begin the season on the PUP list.
That's a lot of defensive linemen. But it doesn't necessarily mean the 49ers have a lot of pass-rush production. Odighizuwa should help the interior pass rush. White has shown the ability to create problems. The 49ers are also hoping some of their younger players can emerge.
But if Bosa isn't healthy, who is consistently winning one-on-one matchups on the edge? That's the million-dollar question.
The 49ers don't necessarily need to lead the NFL in sacks. They do, however, need to be able to create pressure without having to blitz constantly. If they can't, it could put the entire defense in a difficult position.
If Bosa's knee continues to bother him throughout the season, the 49ers will need somebody else to consistently become that guy. And the 49ers didn't exactly enter the season with an obvious Plan B for Bosa. They have numbers along the defensive line. They have some intriguing talent. They have plenty of players who could contribute. What they need is someone who can consistently ruin a quarterback's day.
Because if Bosa is healthy and playing at his normal level, this probably isn't much of a concern. If he's not, fans will be looking back on this offseason and wondering why the 49ers didn't do more to address the position.
More info on: Nick Bosa, Alfred Collins, Gracen Halton, Romello Height, Osa Odighizuwa, Sam Okuayinonu, James Thompson, C.J. West, Keion White, Mykel Williams
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