For months leading up to the 2026 NFL Draft, a consensus felt the San Francisco 49ers would at least strongly consider using their top pick on an outside pass-rusher, and those feelings were magnified after the sudden retirement of edge Bryce Huff at age 27.
But there was a counterpoint to that, one made by Niner Noise's own John Porter, that suggested the Niners wouldn't prioritize the edge as quickly as many thought.
As Porter poitned out, San Francisco already has two high investments on the edge in defensive ends Nick Bosa and Mykel Williams, although both are returning from torn ACLs. What was needed was a third-down pass-rushing specialist who'd come in for obvious passing situations, thereby allowing Williams to rush from the inside in said packages where he's most effective.
That's where the 49ers' selection of Texas Tech defensive end Romello Height in Round 3 came into play.
49ers have a clear plan on how they'll use Romello Height
The Niners certainly had an unorthodox draft strategy, one that's been called into question in the days following the event, but the Height selection certainly wasn't by pure accident.
Turns out, Height was exactly the kind of player San Francisco was looking for at that spot. Despite his smallish stature (6-foot-3 and 239 pounds, making him an undersized pass-rusher), the Texas Tech product is an awfully polished prospect with an array of moves of NFL-caliber.
San Francisco's assistant general manager RJ Gillen told NBC Sports Bay Area's Matt Maiocco specifically how and why Height fits into the defense's plans.
"It is a player archetype we’ve used in the past, like with Dee Ford," Gillen said. "The DPR (designated pass rusher) kind of guys. It’s not something we’re unfamiliar with."
Therein is the comparison and fit.
A Round 1 pick of a pass-rush-only type of player might have been excessive, particularly with Bosa and Williams rostered, and Round 2's value would still have been a bit high. Round 3, though? Just fine.
And, reflecting back on the days of Ford during that memorable 2019 season, the 49ers used him as a third-down pass-rush specialist after bumping defensive end Arik Armstead inside after he'd set the edge on base downs. Ford notched 6.5 sacks in 11 games played that year as a situational pass-rusher.
That approach worked. The Niners are hoping this new installment will work again.
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