49ers need Nick Bosa back stronger than ever in 2021

The 49ers have made some patchwork attempts to resolve their pass rush, but the linchpin remains Nick Bosa, who must return healthy.

While the San Francisco 49ers spent lucratively during the opening waves of NFL free agency, sending out big money to re-sign left tackle Trent Williams and fullback Kyle Juszczyk, financial limitations prevented general manager John Lynch from capitalizing on what was a pretty deep and talented class of free-agent pass-rushers.

EDGE Carl Lawson would have been a nice find. But he inked a deal with the New York Jets, while EDGE Yannick Ngakoue signed with the Las Vegas Raiders.

Fortunately, the Niners already have their elite pass-rusher, the 2019 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, EDGE Nick Bosa.

Bosa, of course, tore his ACL back in Week 2, eliminating what could have been an impressive follow-up campaign to his breakout 2019 efforts. And while it’s a good thing (if one can say that) Bosa suffered the injury early in the season as compared to later, San Francisco will need him to be a vital cog in the defensive line as soon as he returns.

Never easy to do a year after returning from such a devastating injury.

Last year’s swarm of injuries up front showed why Bosa’s presence is so valuable. While the 49ers benefited from reserve defensive end Kerry Hyder leading the defense with 8.5 sacks, the Niners defensive front suffered from a lack of speed rushers and truly difference-making defenders.

That’s where Bosa and fellow EDGE Dee Ford were supposed to come into play.

49ers’ pass-rushing situation leaves room for improvement, mandates Nick Bosa returns healthy

San Francisco didn’t completely overlook its pass-rushing needs in NFL free agency this offseason, inking former Los Angeles Rams EDGE Samson Ebukam to bolster the ranks.

Ebukam’s presence, either as a standup speed rusher or a hand-in-the-dirt defensive end reveals a lot about what the 49ers think happens with Ford, who missed all but one game in 2020 with a back injury, playing this season.

It wouldn’t be shocking if Ford, who also saw just 11 regular-season games in 2019, missed the entirety of the upcoming year.

Ebukam is a nice piece, yes, and having pass-rushing depth is always important. He also hasn’t missed a game over his four-year career, too, which is something neither Bosa nor Ford can claim.

In the wake of Bosa and Ford’s injuries last year, however, the Niners were forced to scrape around the bottom of the league Barrell, bringing in pass-rushers like Ezekiel Ansah, Jordan Willis and even Takkarist McKinley for brief stretches, and none exactly garnered the results the team wanted or needed.

San Francisco doesn’t want to go through that again in 2021.

It would be one thing if the upcoming 2021 NFL Draft, where the 49ers hold the No. 12 pick overall, offered up a deep array of talented and promising edge rushers. While deep, the talent isn’t necessarily there. From Miami’s Gregory Rousseau, who splashed in 2019 but didn’t play last year, to Michigan’s Kwity Paye, who has the physique and skill set but never got the sack totals on paper, essentially every member of the draft’s outside pass-rushing class has a serious question mark.

Can the Niners take an early gamble on a player who might need at least a year or two to develop into a quality starter alongside Bosa?

It’s hard to say.

Even if San Francisco uses its first- or second-round pick on a pass-rusher, Bosa still remains the linchpin of the team’s pass-rushing efforts. He’ll be the player who makes Ebukam better, and the same goes for fellow defensive linemen like Arik Armstead, whose sack production fell off dramatically in 2020, and second-year defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw, who had to bear the brunt of blockers’ focus with players like Bosa and Ford out.

Simply put, if the 49ers want to get the most out of their defensive line this season regardless of whatever remaining moves are made, Bosa will have to be the difference-maker.

Thankfully, he’s on the trajectory to do so.