49ers depth chart: 5 dark-horse players who can steal a roster spot
By Peter Panacy
49ers Depth Chart No. 5: Defensive Lineman Dion Jordan
For a number of reasons, a number of former first-round “flameouts” have been added to the 49ers depth chart this offseason, including wide receiver Tavon Austin, fellow wideout Kevin White and EDGE Dion Jordan.
Jordan, the No. 3 overall pick from the 2013 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins, never quite panned out with the team that drafted him. Dealing with inconsistency and injury, Jordan is merely looking to resurrect his career after bouncing around the league a bit, including stints with the Seattle Seahawks and Oakland Raiders.
San Francisco has an excellent pass-rushing tandem with EDGEs Nick Bosa and Dee Ford, yes. But the depth behind them is a bit questionable, particularly with defensive end Ronald Blair returning from an ACL tear and the 49ers parting ways with project pass-rusher Jonathan Kongbo, prompting the idea the Niners would have to bring in someone external to bolster the depth.
DE Jonathan Kongbo was waived/injured with a groin injury. Team is very low on DEs now; Shanahan said the 49ers may have to bring in someone else in the coming days.
— Matt Barrows (@mattbarrows) August 27, 2020
Even if San Francisco adds another camp body, the relatively few options out there on the open market increase the chance of a player like Jordan squeaking by and onto the 53-man roster.
He’ll won’t ever live up to his once-lofty draft status, no. But savvy teams are privy to the idea of having an ample stable of pass-rushers, and Jordan could at least provide that.