Seemingly every offseason in recent years, the San Francisco 49ers have had to reckon with the fact that their pass rush is not good enough. That is especially true after the 2025 season in which the Niners had the fewest sacks of any NFL team.
They thought they had found the answer in the past. Maybe Drake Jackson would be the guy. Bust. Maybe trading for Chase Young and reuniting him with Nick Bosa will be the answer. Nope. Perhaps veteran Leonard Floyd would be a nice complement. Cut. Snagging Bryce Huff as a reclamation project under Robert Saleh? Only four sacks.
It has become a perennial question of whom the Niners will line up opposite of Nick Bosa to try to get some pressure on the quarterback.
Of course, 2025 was tough for San Francisco since it lost both Bosa and first-round draft pick Mykel Williams to ACL tears during the season. But even when Bosa has been healthy, the lack of a consistent pass rush has been an issue.
It is no surprise that in The Athletic's recent article about the biggest need for every team in the NFL, edge rusher is the position that was highlighted.
So what is San Francisco going to do about it?
49ers need pass-rushers... again
The 49ers seem likely to try and address their pass-rush deficiency in the NFL Draft again. While Williams showed promise in his rookie campaign before going down with an injury, he does not seem like the type of edge who is going to consistently rack up 10-plus sacks every season.
The Niners need to focus on guys who can get to the quarterback with regularity, and thankfully, the edge-rusher class is pretty deep at that position.
But the Niners should not think they are good with their pass rush simply by drafting an edge rusher or two. We know how they have struggled to hit on an edge rusher since drafting Bosa back in 2019, so they need to explore other avenues as well.
There is a "big three" group of edge rushers the Niners could make a run for in the offseason. Trey Hendrickson is set to be a free agent, while Maxx Crosby and Myles Garrett are both in non-ideal situation with the Las Vegas Raiders and Cleveland Browns, respectively, so they may want out.
San Francisco opted for a frugal approach to free agency last season and wasn't that aggressive with trades, but with the Super Bowl window ajar but closing and an aging corps of veterans, general manager John Lynch has to be thinking about trying to land one of those players.
If he does not, then we may be right back here again next offseason talking about how the Niners need an edge rusher.