It's safe to say that the San Francisco 49ers aren't a single player away from becoming a dominant force in the NFL. One of the team's many needs is an elite pass rusher along the edge of the defensive front. General manager John Lynch knows that and is looking to address the position this offseason.

Luckily for Lynch, this draft class is rich with pass rushers, and the 49ers could have their choice of some of the best with the No. 2 overall pick in April.


Lynch, who is in Indianapolis for the NFL Scouting Combine, recently joined Colin Cowherd on The Herd and discussed his team's needs. He said successful NFL teams have to have a quarterback and they have to have a player who can get to quarterbacks. The 49ers have their quarterback in Jimmy Garoppolo. Now, it is time to find the other half of that equation.

"We've got a number of good defensive linemen," Lynch told Cowherd. "It has felt like we're missing that perimeter edge guy. Fortunately, I'll tell you, Colin, and it's not like I have a unique perspective, this is an incredibly talented defensive line class in this draft. And not just the outside guys (but the) inside guys. It's as good as it's been in years.

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"I think that's a need for us. It's a need for a lot of people. When you say a need, you usually think you're really bad. I just look at it as that's just one piece that's missing from an area where we can become a tough team to deal with.

"We've got guys like DeForest Buckner, and Arik Armstead, and Solomon Thomas inside. If you put that edge presence, I think we can become a unit that is tough to deal with."

The 49ers defense got to opposing quarterbacks 37 times in 2018, which tied for No. 22 in the NFL. Buckner, who had 12 sacks this past season, was the only player who managed to bring down quarterbacks more than 5.5 times.




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