SF 49ers: 5 trade targets for John Lynch before 2020 deadline
By Peter Panacy
SF 49ers Target No. 2: No. 2: EDGE Derek Rivers
San Francisco’s loss of Pro Bowl EDGE Nick Bosa to a season-ending ACL tear, paired with fellow EDGE Dee Ford being out indefinitely with a back injury, has been nothing short of detrimental to the team’s pass rush.
While edge rusher Kerry Hyder has performed well in a fill-in role, leading the team with 3.5 sacks, the entire SF 49ers defense has just 10 sacks over the first five weeks. It’s a far cry from what this unit produced a season ago.
Making a move for New England Patriots EDGE Derek Rivers, whom the Pats picked up in Round 3 of the 2017 NFL Draft, likely wouldn’t take much. Rivers is a situational pass-rusher out of a small school, Youngstown State, and he hasn’t quite cut it enough to be a regular member of New England’s defense.
His 2.5 career sacks tell the story.
But the Niners could use supplementary pass-rushing depth behind Bosa and Ford, once those two return, especially with Hyder and fellow defensive lineman Ronald Blair (also on injured reserve) pegged to be free agents next season.
Rivers, assuming he capitalizes on the tutelage from SF 49ers defensive line coach Kris Kocurek, could help bolster what’s been an anemic pass rush so far while providing some solid depth in 2021 if retained on the cheap.