4 former players SF 49ers wish were on current roster

No. 1: Former SF 49ers EDGE Aldon Smith

Speaking of the lack of a San Francisco pass rush — the team has just 10 sacks, which ranks 21st overall through five weeks — the losses of Nick Bosa and Dee Ford have hurt immensely.

Sure, reserve pass-rusher Kerry Hyder has been a nice storyline, and he currently leads the team with 3.5 sacks over that stretch. But that probably speaks more to the lack of talent up front elsewhere than anything exceptional Hyder has done in what was supposed to be little more than a depth and support role this season.

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Perhaps the SF 49ers should have had a reunion, of sorts, with former EDGE Aldon Smith.

Smith’s tumultuous tenure with the Niners back in the early half of the 2010s needs little explanation. Mired in addiction and off-the-field issues, Smith’s subsequent turnaround and resurgence with the Dallas Cowboys has been an incredible story.

Merely coming back from those personal demons would have been one thing. The fact he’s now thriving at the NFL level again after missing so much time away is on an entirely different level.

Smith already has four sacks on the season, which ranks seventh best among all defenders, and his 74.3 Pro Football Focus grade is indicative of the kind of impact the Niners only wish they had from a prolific pass-rusher.

Either way, San Francisco’s defense would have benefited with Smith in its ranks, yet fans can still pull for him.