SF 49ers: 4 pass-rushers who must perform better with Nick Bosa out

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Kerry Hyder Jr. #92 of the San Francisco 49ers tackles Chase Edmonds #29 of the Arizona Cardinals (Photo by Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images) /

No. 4: SF 49ers EDGE Kerry Hyder

At the conclusion of training camp, veteran EDGE Kerry Hyder was squarely on the roster bubble and likely only made it because of his relationship with Niners defensive line coach Kris Kocurek.

Kocurek worked with Hyder back with the Detroit Lions, and those efforts produced Hyder’s best season as a pro, 2016, in which the 29-year-old edge rusher managed a career-best eight sacks.

That’s the kind of production San Francisco will need out of Hyder for the rest of 2020.

Hyder had a situational role early in the season, backing up both Nick Bosa and Dee Ford during the SF 49ers’ Week 1 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. Yet Hyder picked up one of the defense’s two sacks during the game, showcasing some of the pass-rushing depth the Niners were wondering about.

With Bosa out, Hyder expects to see a lot more of the field.

Fortunately, Hyder flashed enough in 2019 with the Dallas Cowboys, only being allowed to walk because there wasn’t much of a role for him with that squad.

Now, the onus will be on Hyder to fill as much a void as possible, particularly with both Bosa and Solomon Thomas out for the long run.