The San Francisco 49ers' injury issues have become exhaustingly predictable. For the first two weeks of the season, Niners players were dropping like flies, although the core of stars remained relatively intact.
Now that Nick Bosa is expected to be sidelined for multiple weeks with a calf strain, San Francisco will need one of its other pass-rushers to step up.
Rookie Romello Height could be the man for the job. He's been a solid player for Raheem Morris' defense through the first two weeks of the season, but he'll likely see his snap count increase significantly in the coming weeks with Bosa sidelined.
If he can take advantage of his increased workload, Height's breakout could come much earlier than expected.
Romello Height needs to step up for 49ers after Nick Bosa's injury
Through two games, Height has logged 62 defensive snaps. His only tackle of the season came on a sack in the second quarter of the Week 2 win over the Miami Dolphins.
Notably, Height himself is also dealing with an injury. He injured his hand and missed Thursday's practice. Kyle Shanahan said that there is still a chance that he's ready to go this weekend against the Arizona Cardinals.
If Height does suit up in Week 3, he could be set up for a massive performance. Arizona's starting offensive tackles, Paris Johnson Jr. and Elijah Wilkinson, have already allowed 11 combined pressures through two games. The rookie's explosiveness off the edge could be difficult for them to handle, even if he's limited by a hand injury.
But even if he misses the game against the Cardinals, Height will need to step into a bigger role while Bosa is out. The Niners are severely limited on the defensive line, so whoever is healthy will play significant snaps.
At just 240 pounds, Height isn't the well-rounded edge defender the 49ers could use at the moment, but his pass-rush ability will be incredibly valuable. If he can create a few more pressures and sacks, he'll help keep the defense from falling apart without Bosa in the lineup.
After the Week 3 game against the Cardinals, San Francisco's schedule only gets more difficult. The Niners play the Denver Broncos and the Seattle Seahawks in Weeks 4 and 5, respectively, with Bosa likely to miss both games.
The 49ers may not have expected Height to become this important at this point in the season, but the rookie needs to step up to keep San Francisco's Super Bowl hopes alive.
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