It's certainly no secret that the San Francisco 49ers suffered an absurd amount of injuries during the 2025 season, a list that included both of their Week 1 starters at edge rusher, with five-time Pro Bowler Nick Bosa suffering a torn right ACL in Week 3 and first-round rookie Mykel Williams suffering the same fate in Week 9.
With Williams' injury occurring just ahead of the NFL trade deadline, the Niners reportedly called the New York Jets, who were in the midst of a fire sale, to inquire about the availability of 2022 first-round pick Jermaine Johnson II. Nothing came of it, of course, as Gang Green apparently wanted a second-round pick in return, which San Francisco simply wasn't willing to give up.
The 49ers are undoubtedly still in need of pass-rush help this offseason, as they ranked dead last in the league in both sacks (20) and pressure rate (24.7%) and 29th in pass-rush win rate. Bosa may be good to go by the start of the 2026 season, but Williams almost certainly won't be.
As such, FanSided's Justin Carter believes San Francisco should take another shot at Johnson.
49ers may not need a 2nd-rounder to get Jermaine Johnson now, but there's still risk involved
Carter recently took the time to share his thoughts on a "dream" trade target for each eliminated playoff team, and the name he threw out for San Francisco was Johnson, with this being his explanation:
"Jermaine Johnson survived the 2025 Jets fire sale, but with 2026 looking like another lost year after Oregon quarterback Dante Moore opted to go back to school to avoid being drafted by New York, why not move some of your better pieces for picks this offseason?
"Johnson would give the San Francisco 49ers an upside pass-rushing piece, though the fact that he only produced three sacks last season is concerning. Even with Robert Saleh gone as defensive coordinator, I trust the 49ers to get the best out of Johnson much more than I trust the Jets."
As Johnson is set to play the 2026 season on the fifth-year option of his rookie deal, it would make all the sense in the world for the Jets to unload him as they continue to stockpile draft capital after unloading Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams
But they're not going to get the second-round pick they wanted a few months back, nor should the 49ers be willing to change their mind and offer that much. A third-rounder could conceivably get the job done, but even that may be a little risky for a player who missed most of the 2024 season with a torn Achilles (San Francisco doesn't need any more injury problems) and didn't have his best season in 2025, racking up just 3.0 sacks and 35 total pressures in 14 games.
Now, if the Niners knew for certain that they could get the 2023 version of Johnson, who earned the lone Pro Bowl selection of his career that season with 7.5 sacks, 56 pressures, and even his only career interception, which he returned for a touchdown, then a third-rounder for a one-year, $13.5 million potential one-year rental might be worth the risk.
But at this point, while a nice thought, the 49ers would be best served to turn their attention elsewhere.