When he spoke at the NFL Scouting Combine, general manager John Lynch made it pretty clear that addressing the pass rush was a massive priority for the San Francisco 49ers this offseason.
That might be problematic, though, because the Niners have a slew of other pressing needs, particularly at wide receiver and potentially even at left tackle, depending on what happens with Trent Williams' contract situation.
While it'd be ideal for Lynch and Co. to either draft the next impactful pass-rusher to bookend their defensive line opposite Nick Bosa, or somehow win the offseason trade sweepstakes for the Las Vegas Raiders' Maxx Crosby, another under-the-radar solution might be presenting itself.
And it could come by the way of a trade with the New York Giants.
Kayvon Thibodeaux could be perfect trade pickup for 49ers
San Francisco doesn't just need an impact pass-rusher. It could also stand for pass-rushing depth, too, particularly with 2025 rookie Mykel Williams coming off a midseason ACL tear, Bryce Huff's future uncertain and Yetur Gross-Matos poised to enter the free-agent market.
According to a report from ESPN's Dan Graziano, the G-Men aren't likely to extend their top pick from the 2022 NFL Draft, defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux, after it became apparent he had fallen down the pecking order behind New York's other premier pass-rushers, namely Brian Burns and Abdul Carter.
Graziano wrote:
"... it seems more likely they'll try to find a trade partner for Thibodeaux than extend the 2022 first-round pick ahead of his fifth-year-option season. The question is whether the Giants can find a taker for him at that salary in a deep offseason edge rusher market, but the chatter at the combine indicates they're going to try."
A mid-round pick would likely get the job done from the 49ers' vantage point, and they'd be on the hook for $14.75 million of the former No. 5 overall pick's salary for 2026; not wholly terrible for a B-level pass-rusher with some positive upside.
If Thibodeaux ended up being a quality fit in coordinator Raheem Morris' defense, then a would-be extension could be discussed.
But, the Niners could bank on at least solving their immediate pass-rushing problems with an immediate move that wouldn't cost them too much whatsoever.
And New York seems willing to talk.