Bosa is coming off a torn ACL, and despite dealing with some soreness and tendinitis in his surgically repaired knee, most expect him to be ready for Week 1, when the 49ers face the Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne, Australia.
Among several moves over the last two offseasons, the 49ers used a third-round pick on defensive end Romello Height, while defensive end Mykel Williams was the team's top selection in last year's NFL Draft.
Still, questions remain about the 49ers' pass rush. Those concerns led Bleacher Report's scouting department to project Notre Dame defensive end Boubacar Traore to San Francisco with the No. 25 overall pick in its 2027 NFL mock draft. The selection slot, by the way, is based on the current Super Bowl odds.
The Bleacher Report team believes last season's injury woes showed that the 49ers can't have too many pass rushers on their roster.
"Injuries are the driving force behind any decision the Niners make, of course," the team wrote. "At this point, Nick Bosa can't be fully counted upon to be an elite defender. Last year's first-round pick, Mykel Williams, isn't a true edge rusher. Third-round rookie Romello Height is a designated pass-rusher."
Bleacher Report's scouting department believes Traore would bring a premium skill set to the 49ers' defensive front.
Bleacher Report scout Matt Holder doesn't expect Williams to provide much as a pass rusher. At the same time, the second-year defender's recovery from an ACL injury adds another layer of concern heading into the 2026 season. There is also concern that Bosa may have already peaked and could be headed toward a decline in production.
"Traore has the size and athleticism to be a productive NFL edge rusher," Holder explained. "The 6'5", 253-pound defender displays great lateral movement skills to set up his moves and win across the offensive tackle's face, as well as showing off a nasty spin move."
Traore is coming off a 2025 campaign in which he recorded 37 tackles, 6.5 sacks, and 10 tackles for loss—all career highs—for the Irish, according to Sports Reference.
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