5 players the 49ers need to break out in 2021

No. 2: 49ers EDGE Samson Ebukam

The Niners can be happy about getting EDGE Nick Bosa back from his early season-ending ACL tear last year. As long as Bosa returns anywhere close to 100 percent, there’s nothing to worry about on that end.

But San Francisco can’t feel as enthusiastic about its other pass-rusher, Dee Ford, whose back injury suffered last season is likely to carry over into 2021.

One of the 49ers’ reactionary moves this offseason to the Ford situation was to ink former Los Angeles Rams EDGE Samson Ebukam to a two-year deal. Unlike Ford, Ebukam has a clean slate of health and has never missed a game over his four-year career.

Also unlike Ford, Ebukam was never asked to be a primary pass-rusher, rather of the situational variety, and Ebukam has mustered a mere 14 sacks over that span with 4.5 apiece in each of the last two seasons.

Those numbers aren’t bad for a role player. But if the Niners aren’t anticipating Ford coming back anytime soon, and with Bosa needing some complementary help from the rest of the defensive line, the expectation for Ebukam is for him to be a bigger difference-maker over the course of 2021.

Likely of the every-down variety.

Fortunately, Ebukam’s speed makes him a threat, and so does the fact he’ll have plenty of opportunities to increase his sack totals in contrast to the earlier stages of his career.

San Francisco needs this to be the case if it wants to regain its pass-rushing prowess again.