DL: 2026 Draft Class

Originally posted by adrianlesnar:

Originally posted by Heroism:
@adrianlesnar

do you know what's going on here? I remember I found this picture while I did my original dive on Lawrence, and then completely forgot about it. It's very unusual to see a DL with knee braces.

I got nothing. Rumors of a 2025 spring practice precautionary meniscus management type situation.

Nothing in the beast about any injuries, usually any off field or injury stuff is in there under their background.

Barham would ensure we never have to see Gifford on the field again on defense.

I feel like Cashius Howell is one of the safest picks at 27. Is he going to be a game wrecker or your "edge1" (I hate these stupid terms)? No, and you shouldn't draft him expecting that. But he's not going to bust. I think he's going to be a steady speed rusher that gives a team a s**t ton of pressures, QB hits and around ~7 sacks every single season with that one career year where he goes 10+. I think this is a good investment when you consider that history tells us the overwhelming majority of edge rushers in this draft will give the NFL team that drafts them little to no production as a pass rusher over the span of their career.

I'm good with him at 27 if he's the the Niners' guy. I think the fusion of Mykel with his excellent base run defense and interior pass rush with Howell as a designated pass rusher off the edge on money downs is a good fusion. Is it great for roster building? No, but it's the reality and making the best of the situation the 49ers are in.

Originally posted by Heroism:
I feel like Cashius Howell is one of the safest picks at 27. Is he going to be a game wrecker or your "edge1" (I hate these stupid terms)? No, and you shouldn't draft him expecting that. But he's not going to bust. I think he's going to be a steady speed rusher that gives a team a s**t ton of pressures, QB hits and around ~7 sacks every single season with that one career year where he goes 10+. I think this is a good investment when you consider that history tells us the overwhelming majority of edge rushers in this draft will give the NFL team that drafts them little to no production as a pass rusher over the span of their career.

I'm good with him at 27 if he's the the Niners' guy. I think the fusion of Mykel with his excellent base run defense and interior pass rush with Howell as a designated pass rusher off the edge on money downs is a good fusion. Is it great for roster building? No, but it's the reality and making the best of the situation the 49ers are in.

Howell is my favorite EDGE in the draft. Although I'm more than fine with Lawrence and Jacas. Barham and Crawford on the next tier.

The ONLY concern with this dude are his short arms ... 31" at his pro day? How come such a difference from at the combine ... how can one of them be off so much... anyways no one with his length arms has ever been so productive in college football at EDGE in getting sacks so he is thus an outlier as he GOT THE SACKS. ie he is a FAR better football player than the guys historically have been with shorter arms who were not even highly regarded prospects coming out of college; but Howell IS a highly regarded prospect so if it's me I'm ignoring the arms if I love his tape. If I don't love his tape then fine there are those other 4-5 EDGEs to pick. If he had 33" arms he goes top 15 so I'll say thank you for the short arms we'll take you at #27 (or after a trade back). Very curious to see who Raheem likes if they are all on the board at #27 and we go EDGE.

Dude jukes OTs like crossovers in basketball and gains positional advantage quick so his short arms don't even come into play - don't care about run integrity when it's 3rd and 8 and he is pinning his ears back.

Plus I like the possessed demon play style he has (just like Mesidor) when you watch his highlights. He would have had double digit sacks two years ago if not sitting behind Scourton and Stewart and had 4 sacks on limited snaps. And he had almost double digit (9.5) sacks the year before that at Bowling Green.

Dude just hunts QBs and gets home.

Still think he is a reach at #27 and would prefer a trade back. Feel the same about Lawrence and the other EDGEs except Mesidor.

NY may not like it but with a trade back to 33-40 and him making me like Barham more and more ... I'd be fine taking Christen Miller at DT and then trading back from 58 to 65-80ish and taking Barham or Crawford. I am cautiously hopeful but I am not sold yet on Collins and West being great players so would not mind at all adding another high pick at DT. Only reason to not do this is that DT has more depth in this class than any other position imo.

Someone mentioned Barham being the end of Luke Gifford. That makes sense because if Raheem is going to build onto what Saleh did with 5-man fronts, Barham could be the starting Sam LB, and get after the quarterback in nickel/moneydowns. With Greenlaw back and the possible addition of Barham, that's a lot of violence and physicality infused into the front 7. Got to love that idea.

Originally posted by Heroism:
Someone mentioned Barham being the end of Luke Gifford. That makes sense because if Raheem is going to build onto what Saleh did with 5-man fronts, Barham could be the starting Sam LB, and get after the quarterback in nickel/moneydowns. With Greenlaw back and the possible addition of Barham, that's a lot of violence and physicality infused into the front 7. Got to love that idea.

I'm sold

Originally posted by Heroism:
Someone mentioned Barham being the end of Luke Gifford. That makes sense because if Raheem is going to build onto what Saleh did with 5-man fronts, Barham could be the starting Sam LB, and get after the quarterback in nickel/moneydowns. With Greenlaw back and the possible addition of Barham, that's a lot of violence and physicality infused into the front 7. Got to love that idea.

dude is an ass kicker vs the run and can bring the juice on those money downs.

At this point, I want to try and move down in the first at all costs. Get an extra couple picks to be flexible enough to come away with Barham another DE (someone like Crawford), IOL , WR and S depth.

Originally posted by Heroism:
Someone mentioned Barham being the end of Luke Gifford. That makes sense because if Raheem is going to build onto what Saleh did with 5-man fronts, Barham could be the starting Sam LB, and get after the quarterback in nickel/moneydowns. With Greenlaw back and the possible addition of Barham, that's a lot of violence and physicality infused into the front 7. Got to love that idea.

Wait is that Malachi Lawrence in a 3 pt stance out wide? And #57 Barham? And #53 Greenlaw? And #36 VJ Payne?!?

Originally posted by adrianlesnar:
Wait is that Malachi Lawrence in a 3 pt stance out wide? And #57 Barham? And #53 Greenlaw? And #36 VJ Payne?!?

Originally posted by Heroism:

Originally posted by adrianlesnar:
Wait is that Malachi Lawrence in a 3 pt stance out wide? And #57 Barham? And #53 Greenlaw? And #36 VJ Payne?!?

Originally posted by NYniner85:

Originally posted by Heroism:
Someone mentioned Barham being the end of Luke Gifford. That makes sense because if Raheem is going to build onto what Saleh did with 5-man fronts, Barham could be the starting Sam LB, and get after the quarterback in nickel/moneydowns. With Greenlaw back and the possible addition of Barham, that's a lot of violence and physicality infused into the front 7. Got to love that idea.

dude is an ass kicker vs the run and can bring the juice on those money downs.

At this point, I want to try and move down in the first at all costs. Get an extra couple picks to be flexible enough to come away with Barham another DE (someone like Crawford), IOL , WR and S depth.

If we could get both Barham & Crawford that would be sick. It is certainly doable IF Lynch thinks Barham is worth #58 and we can trade down from our 1st rounder. Considering how big a need EDGE is and if we dont use our first pick on one, even if Lynch believes Barham would be there at 70-80 I think he just takes him at #58 and doesn't trade back from #58 as well.

Problem with getting Crawford as well is that say we traded back with MIA at 30 and get their 94. Crawford may or may not be there at that spot but that pick could be used to get a Bud Clark/Jalon Kilgore at S or a Jalen Farmer at G or an Oscar Delp at TE which would all be good value to get any of those guys there. Would we double up on EDGE with two straight picks in the 2nd and 3rd round...?

I don't love the EDGEs that will be available in the 4th now that Barham and Crawford have moved into 3rd round territory. I used to mock Crawford/Barham all day long in the mock sims with one of our 4th rounders. Not anymore. So in the end I don't think we end up drafting two EDGEs unless we pick up another 5th/6th/7th round pick and take Nadame Tucker or Max Llewellyn OR we go EDGE with our first pick and follow up with Barham/Crawford at 58 or in the 3rd if we are able to trade back from 27

Trading to the top of the 2nd is key - and I think if we don't get calls to trade up to 27 that WE make an offer to trade back that offers the other team slightly better than equal value just to pick up an extra 3rd/4th or 3rd/5th etc.

Entice another team to consider trading up for a guy they really like but did not want to pay the full price of moving up to our spot. Let's give them a discount as we need the extra picks and those picks are more valuable to us then it is to get exactly equal value or better from trading back.

Originally posted by NYniner85:

Originally posted by Heroism:
Someone mentioned Barham being the end of Luke Gifford. That makes sense because if Raheem is going to build onto what Saleh did with 5-man fronts, Barham could be the starting Sam LB, and get after the quarterback in nickel/moneydowns. With Greenlaw back and the possible addition of Barham, that's a lot of violence and physicality infused into the front 7. Got to love that idea.

dude is an ass kicker vs the run and can bring the juice on those money downs.

At this point, I want to try and move down in the first at all costs. Get an extra couple picks to be flexible enough to come away with Barham another DE (someone like Crawford), IOL , WR and S depth.

Originally posted by NYniner85:

Originally posted by NYniner85:

Originally posted by Heroism:
Someone mentioned Barham being the end of Luke Gifford. That makes sense because if Raheem is going to build onto what Saleh did with 5-man fronts, Barham could be the starting Sam LB, and get after the quarterback in nickel/moneydowns. With Greenlaw back and the possible addition of Barham, that's a lot of violence and physicality infused into the front 7. Got to love that idea.

dude is an ass kicker vs the run and can bring the juice on those money downs.

At this point, I want to try and move down in the first at all costs. Get an extra couple picks to be flexible enough to come away with Barham another DE (someone like Crawford), IOL , WR and S depth.

Jaishawn Barham run defense pic.twitter.com/8x8DOf2QA0

— James Foster (@NoFlagsFilm) April 18, 2026

Buddy was up to 251 at his pro-day, so he's for sure bigger than I thought.