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The San Francisco 49ers bolstered their defensive line last season with the midseason acquisition of defensive end Charles Omenihu from the Houston Texans, setting themselves up for a late-season push, which ultimately placed them in the playoffs, where they reached the NFC Championship Game before losing to the Los Angeles Rams.
Reminiscing on the trade last season with Brad Graham of
TheSFNiners, Omenihu said the trade was shocking, but that everything happens for a reason and that he's excited about where he currently is.
"[The trade] was shocking a little bit, but everything happens for a reason…I'm happy that I'm a 49er and we're rolling now. Ain't no hiccups now."
Interestingly enough, Omenihu faced his former team last season when the 49ers defeated the Texans 23-7 during Trey Lance's second career start in Week 16. About the matchup, Omenihu had just one word to say: lovely.
"Lovely. It'll be even better, even though it's preseason, it'll be even sweeter this year."
The 49ers face the Texans on August 25th, their third and final preseason game in 2022.
Speaking about the adjustment of changing teams halfway through the season, Omenihu admitted that it was more than expected, and that he's finally comfortable in the current system.
"Coming into halfway through the season, it's an adjustment," Omenihu said. "I didn't think it was going to be that crazy of an adjustment. but when you kind of look at an overview of the year, that was an adjustment for sure. Different scheme, city, teammates, it's a little different, but now that everything for me has calmed down, I'm settled. I know what I'm getting into. More comfortable in the new stance I have, new system, it's been a lot easier for me."
However, that wasn't always the case as the former Texan acknowledged that it took until this offseason for him to get fully acclimated with the 49ers.
"I think, for me, I really felt [fully] comfortable during minicamp and OTAs this year. But, if [talking about] a game I felt like I was kind of rolling a little bit, it would probably be the Cowboys game. Obviously, that was the game I played the most and had the most production, but I didn't really [feel] as comfortable till really I got into OTAs and minicamp this year."
Omenihu's snap count decreased from the first half of the season after he joined the 49ers. However, during the wildcard round of the playoffs, the 24-year-old edge-rusher saw 47% of the defensive snaps, which translated into a game-high six pressures against one of the best left tackles in the NFL in Tyron Smith.
Entering a contract year, Omenihu could be poised for a breakout year after the 49ers lost both D.J. Jones and Arden Key to free agency, leaving some openings on the defensive line ahead of the 2022 NFL season.
A questionable rumor surfaced on Wednesday regarding the Pittsburgh Steelers' interest in San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. Sports Illustrated contributor Noah Strackbein reported that the AFC team was seemingly confident they could pull off a trade for Aiyuk.
However, the credibility of this report comes into question due to the assertion that the Steelers believe they could acquire Aiyuk at a bargain price, possibly in exchange for a second-round draft pick and a late-round selection.
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San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy achieved a remarkable feat in 2023, setting a single-season franchise record with 4,280 passing yards. This accomplishment is noteworthy, considering the illustrious quarterbacks who have graced the organization's history.
A significant portion of those yards came from wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, who amassed a career-high and team-leading 1,342 receiving yards. Most of his 75 catches originated from passes thrown by Purdy.
Amidst significant offseason chatter surrounding the 49ers' star receiver, including several unsubstantiated trade rumors, Aiyuk's future remains uncertain. Former NFL player James Jones, now an analyst, expressed concern for Purdy should Aiyuk's tenure in the Bay Area come to an end.
"I
The San Francisco 49ers first selection in next week's draft comes at No. 31 overall. However, NFL Media analyst Chad Reuter doesn't have the Bay Area team remaining at that spot in the first round. In his seven-round mock draft, he envisions the 49ers striking a deal with the Green Bay Packers to move up six spots to No. 25 overall, where they select former Alabama cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry.
Reuter notes, "Whether it's for a cornerback like McKinstry, an offensive lineman or a receiver, the 49ers could very well give up a mid-round pick to acquire one of the few missing pieces on an otherwise potent roster."
The rest of the mock draft reveals at least part of the
The San Francisco 49ers hold the No. 31 overall pick, but speculation abounds that they may seek to move before or during the first round of next week's NFL Draft. With the offensive line as a prime target for improvement and the position going mostly ignored in free agency, a strategic trade-up to acquire an impact player could be in the cards.
Alyssa Barbieri proposes such a scenario in her latest mock draft for USA Today's Touchdown Wire. Barbieri envisions the 49ers trading with the Miami Dolphins to move up 10 spots, selecting former Alabama offensive lineman JC Latham.
Latham started 27 games
