49ers' make lone under-the-radar move as NFL trade deadline closes

The 49ers opted not to make splash moves at the 2024 NFL trade deadline, grabbing a rotatioinal defensive lineman as the lone transaction.

At some point in the next few days, the San Francisco 49ers will admit they fielded a few calls, made a few others and explored some moves leading up to Tuesday's NFL trade deadline.

Ultimately, though, whatever headline-grabbing efforts general manager John Lynch made to improve the roster (or trade away movable assets) weren't meant to be.

We'll likely never have the full picture of just how close (or how far) the Niners came to executing a blockbuster deal. However, considering how active Lynch and Co. have been at previous deadlines, one had to conclude there would be something on the table.

Right?

The 49ers were reportedly in on some defensive linemen, which would help alleviate both a thin interior and on the edges. Grabbing a wide receiver, especially in the wake of Brandon Aiyuk's season-ending knee injury, could have been a priority, too, although it makes some sense for the Niners to place more responsibility on first-round rookie Ricky Pearsall.

At the deadline, however, a lone under-the-radar transaction summed up San Francisco's efforts.

49ers trade for Khalil Davis at NFL trade deadline

The 49ers executed a trade with the Houston Texans earlier this offseason, landing starting defensive tackle Maliek Collins.

As the deadline approached, the Niners doubled down on their efforts to reinforce the interior by grabbing defensive tackle Khalil Davis from Houston in exchange for a 2026 seventh-round pick, according to The Athletic's Dianna Russini:

Davis, 28 years old, broke into the league back in 2020 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a sixth-round draft pick out of Nebraska. Since then, he had a stint with the Indianapolis Colts before joining the Texans in 2023.

Over 27 regular-season games, Davis registered 43 tackles, 10 of which were for a loss, 10 quarterback hits and three sacks.

The move helps reinforce a thin D-line, yes, but it's not exactly one that'll move the radar much. If anything, it could cut into playing time for undrafted rookie lineman Evan Anderson, who has shown promise in limited action this season as a reserve player.

Davis, meanwhile, will join forces with Collins, Jordan Elliott and others to give San Francisco's D-line a bit more depth heading into the second half of the season.

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