San Francisco 49ers: Ranking the top 5 free-agent targets in 2019
By Peter Panacy
No. 5: EDGE Brandon Graham
In an ideal world, the 49ers would be able to somehow land top-tier edge rushers, like the Dallas Cowboys’ Demarcus Lawrence or the New England Patriots Trey Flowers this offseason. But it’s hard envisioning either squad letting those caliber players walk in NFL free agency.
San Francisco 49ers
And it’s not likely the Niners shell out top dollar for a position they’ll likely address with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. Especially in such a deep and talented edge-rushing class.
Instead, San Francisco will want to supplement its pass rush, and a guy like Philadelphia Eagles EDGE Brandon Graham makes perfect sense.
Graham will turn 31 years old when the 2019 season begins, so he’s not exactly a fix-and-forget option. But for the next two or three years, depending on the length of his next contract, Graham is certainly a solid complementary piece to address the many pass-rushing shortcomings the 49ers had last year.
It’s an argument Niner Noise already made — a veteran Super Bowl-winning presence would do a lot of good for a primarily young defense.
Graham only picked up four sacks for the Eagles last season. But he was more than adequate handling both the run and creating pressure up front — the kind of versatile tool that could play a vital factor in getting multiple pass-rushers on the field at the same time when situations call for them.
His relatively advanced age should keep the price tag relatively low, too.