Will the 49ers need to make a move for a pass rusher sooner than later?
· Yahoo Sports
San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator told the media the team would “ease them into this thing and get them ready to go” when discussing rookie Romello Height. He acknowledged that it’s a different ball game, playing against the pros as opposed to college players:
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“Feeling really good where he was going, his growth, his development, but at the same time when you prepare for rookies, you prepare for those guys to be able to be in the lineup, be out of the lineup, what it’s like to play in the National Football League. We all know, and we expect these guys to know from having the experience in college, but it’s different. These are grown men doing grown men things, and we’ll ease them into this thing and get them ready to go.”
Morris mentioned that he had a “very high confidence level” regarding Nick Bosa’s availability. It’ll be difficult to ease Bosa in with the current depth chart. Morris must manage Bosa’s playing shape while also not having another early-down defender now that Sam Okuayinonu broke his foot.
Morris has a couple of familiar faces who will likely get elevated ahead of Week 1: Ogbo Okoronkwo and Khalid Kareem. Morris said he has a lot of confidence in that duo:
“Well, fortunately, two guys that I have a lot of experience with, right? Kareem last year, the last couple of years in Atlanta, and then obviously Ogbo with L.A. Being able to watch those two guys go out there and compete this week and be at a high level, it’s going to be fun. Two guys that I’ve got a lot of confidence in. Two guys that I was fortunate enough to be able to have some say to be able to get here and try to help us. This personnel department does a great job of identifying people that we need when these things happen, so we’re fired up.”
Kareem could help offset the loss of Okuayinonu with his 268-pound frame. Okoronkwo, listed at 250 pounds, might not hold up against the Rams’ heavier personnel packages — another reason why it’d be tempting to leave Bosa on the field.
ESPN went through predictions for each team. For the 49ers’ biggest concern, unsurprisingly, it was their pass rush:
The pass rush. In 2025, San Francisco finished last in the NFL in sacks (20). It brought in defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa, but it’s still fair to wonder if the 49ers have enough on the edge with Nick Bosa and Mykel Williams coming off ACL injuries and rookie Romello Height replacing Bryce Huff. If the pass rush isn’t markedly better, it could be another long season for the defense.
There are two questions: Can the 49ers weather the storm until Mykel Williams returns from the PUP? Once he does return, will he play up to his draft status?
The 49ers are relying on two players coming off season-ending lower-body injuries to carry the edge-rushing group. We’ll see if Keion White is a better fit for Morris’s scheme, or how early Height can contribute. Ultimately, it’s about how effective Bosa and Williams will be.
If Williams doesn’t look the part, a veteran like Leonard Floyd might be the next player to get a phone call. Floyd turned 34 on Tuesday, and probably shouldn’t be relied upon as an every-down player. He racked up a bunch of pressures last season, but we saw firsthand how empty those can be.
If Mykel isn’t who the 49ers think he is, we’ll see a splash trade around the deadline. But if he looks like a first-rounder and can be disruptive, the Niners will hold onto their future draft assets.