Why the 49ers neglected their pass-rush needs during the 2018 offseason

The San Francisco 49ers needed to address their pass rush this offseason but didn’t make any splash moves in free agency or the NFL Draft. Here’s why.

The San Francisco 49ers had a number of glaring needs on the roster heading into 2018, but few were as prominent as the pass rush.

Or lack of it.

A year ago, the Niners finished tied for 26th with just 30 sacks. The team’s leading pass-rusher, EDGE Elvis Dumervil, is no longer with the team. Combined with the remaining questions here, one would have thought general manager John Lynch and Co. would have made this a priority-one target this offseason.

But it didn’t pan out that way. Why?

Elite-level pass-rushers are like franchise quarterbacks, but for the defense. Your team either has one or is desperate to find one. And free agency didn’t provide much of an option, especially after the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys franchise tagged top free-agent rushers Ezekiel Ansah and Demarcus Lawrence, respectively.

The NFL Draft then, right? Well, unfortunately, this year’s crop of top-tier pass-rushers was pretty thin. And San Francisco elected to use its first pick on Notre Dame offensive tackle Mike McGlinchey instead.

And while six of the 49ers’ nine total draft selections were for the defense, none addressed the need off the edge.

There’s a reason why. Let’s take a look.