The San Francisco 49ers made a big splash by trading for DeForest Buckner. It’s the big move some fans have wanted to see for years, and it’s a little bit reminiscent of the trade the Niners made back in 2023 during their bye week for edge rusher Chase Young.
Both moves were meant to bolster a reeling defensive line, but the Young trade did not exactly work out as planned. The hope was that reuniting him with Nick Bosa, his teammate at Ohio State, would give the Niners a dominant pass rush. Young ended up recording just 2.5 sacks with San Francisco and had a viral moment for not running hard in the playoffs.
But he’s actually been quite good ever since his time in the Bay Area.
Josh Dubow of the Associated Press noted the following on social media: “Chase Young has 22.5 sacks since leaving the 49ers after the 2023 season. No one on Niners has more than 11 in that span.”
That’s a pretty remarkable stat and speaks to how Young has been solid, but not great, the last three seasons for the New Orleans Saints, while San Francisco has struggled to get pressure on opposing quarterbacks.
Chase Young reveal paints a bigger (and painful) picture for 49ers
That stat alone may be the biggest indictment of Bosa. To be fair, he missed pretty much all of the 2025 campaign due to an ACL tear, has only played in one game so far this season, and was banged up in 2024, but the fact he's been injured so much means the Niners may not bring him back when his contract is up.
Trading for Buckner may be a way to guard against Bosa’s unavailability. By having a consistent presence at defensive tackle in Buckner, who is able to put pressure on the quarterback, that will force opponents to pay more attention to the interior, which could create more chances for edge rushers like Keion White or Mykel Williams.
The next step for San Francisco may be to add an edge rusher like Khalil Mack or maybe even Maxx Crosby so they really shore up the defensive line.
Heck, why not try to reunite with Young, who has seven sacks this season for a Saints team that is 2-5 so far?
Young is obviously not thought of as fondly as Buckner, but he might give the Niners a huge boost at edge rusher they desperately need if they want to not only make it to the playoffs but make a deep run.
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