Leonard Floyd to provide the magic elixir 49ers have sought alongside Nick Bosa

The 49ers have long wanted a quality No. 2 pass-rusher to pair with Nick Bosa, and they may have finally gotten one in Leonard Floyd.

For years, dating back to 2019, the San Francisco 49ers' one-two pass-rushing duo was headlined by All-Pro defensive end Nick Bosa.

And somebody else.

That year, the Niners hoped edge Dee Ford would fit the bill, but injuries got in the way of that coming to fruition. There were experiments, some modestly successful, that brought in reclamation pass-rushers like Clelin Ferrell, Arden Key, Randy Gregory and Chase Young, too. But none of them turned into long-term solutions.

Even when San Francisco drafted hopeful pass-rushers, like Drake Jackson in Round 2 back in 2022, the results have been less than spectacular.

Hopefully, all that has been resolved by the 2024 free-agent pickup of veteran edge Leonard Floyd.

Wanting to land a quality bookend with plenty of production on his stat sheet, Floyd can help deliver that one-two pass-rushing punch the 49ers defense has longed for over the years. Even at 31 years old, the No. 9 overall pick from the 2016 NFL Draft has remained productive.

Unlike Ford and Jackson, Floyd has avoided the injury bug for much of his career and has posted at least nine sacks in each of his last four seasons, including 29 with a chief Niners rival within the NFC West, the Los Angeles Rams.

Upon joining San Francisco, the veteran endeared himself to fans by saying, "They play grown-man football."

What is Leonard Floyd's contract with the 49ers?

While Floyd might not be partnered alongside Bosa for a serious length of time, the 49ers were at least hoping to squeeze continued production from the former over the next two years.

Per Over the Cap, Floyd's deal is for two years at a total value of $20 million, $12 million of which is fully guaranteed.

That's affordable for a B-list pass-rusher. And, if Floyd completely flames out during his first year with the Niners, they can execute a post-June 1 release in 2025 that'll generate nearly $8 million in cap space against only $2.158 million in dead money

San Francisco won't have to think about that until next season, however.

How will 49ers deploy Leonard Floyd in 2024?

Bosa takes on plenty of double-team blocks, meaning another pass-rusher is needed to fully exploit an opponent's offensive line.

Floyd, at least in theory, provides that.

As for the technique, 49ers defensive line coach Kris Kocurek shared a bit of insight on how the edge rusher will be deployed, via Matt Barrows of The Athletic:

"Last year in Buffalo, he played 50-50 between a two-point and a three-point stance. In L.A. (with the Rams), it was more of a two-point deal. Early in his career in Chicago, he was more of a two-point player. We'll do a little bit of both with him."

Related story: Why 49ers will surpass last season's sack totals

Kocurek noted some similarity in play style between Floyd and Ford, particularly about the stand-up approach, concluding it all by saying, "Anytime a player is really good at something, I'd be an idiot to take it away from him."

If that approach works, the hope will be for Floyd to again flirt with double-digit sacks while allowing Bosa to thrive in more one-on-one matchups.

All of which should benefit the Niners this season.

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