The need became glaring last season after defensive end Nick Bosa suffered a season-ending ACL injury in Week 3. The 49ers' pass rush never recovered, finishing with an NFL-low 20 sacks.
San Francisco expects Bosa to be ready for the start of the 2026 season, and the team added rookie defensive end Romello Height in the third round of the NFL Draft. Still, the defensive front could benefit from another proven edge rusher to bolster the rotation and complement Bosa.
Pro Football & Sports Network's Cameron Sheath identified five potential landing spots for three-time Pro Bowl defensive end Jadeveon Clowney. Along with the 49ers, Sheath listed the Green Bay Packers, Detroit Lions, Arizona Cardinals, and Las Vegas Raiders as logical destinations.
Sheath pointed to San Francisco's recent string of bad injury luck as one reason the team should continue adding experienced depth.
"From Dre Greenlaw's heartbreaking sideline injury in the Super Bowl to Christian McCaffrey's struggles to the injury plague of 2025, this team can't catch a break," Sheath wrote.
With the 49ers still chasing another Super Bowl while many of their core players enter the latter stages of their careers, Sheath believes adding a veteran like Clowney could strengthen the team's championship chances. While the 33-year-old wouldn't make the roster any younger, he has remained productive, recording 23.5 sacks over the past three seasons, including 8.5 with the Dallas Cowboys in 2025.
"Also, with Bosa and teammate Mykel Williams both returning from season-ending ACL tears, having an extra body to rotate in could be invaluable early on," Sheath added. "The 49ers no longer have Robert Saleh to perform his miracles on the sidelines, so building defensive depth should be a priority ahead of September."
Although Clowney is entering his 13th NFL season and has never recorded double-digit sacks in a single year, he has earned a Pro Football Focus pass-rushing grade of at least 80.6 in two of the past three seasons. He is also just two years removed from posting a career-high 71 pressures.
Whether the 49ers pursue Clowney remains to be seen, but with questions surrounding the team's edge depth behind Bosa, adding a proven veteran could make sense.
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