The San Francisco 49ers are in the same division as the Los Angeles Rams, who traded for Myles Garrett, and the Seattle Seahawks have a relentless pass rush that helped them win the Super Bowl last season.
Over the last few months, there have been takes and opinions on how the 49ers should improve their pass rush. The Niners will have Nick Bosa and Mykel Williams returning from injury and drafting Romello Height in the 2026 NFL Draft.
San Francisco also traded for Osa Odighizuwa, who can get to the quarterback and be disruptive in the interior. Nonetheless, could the 49ers look at another player to partner with Odighizuwa to help the team’s pass rush from the inside?
Wynston Wilcox of FanSided put together a list of teams that could realistically trade for Philadelphia Eagles‘ Jalen Carter, and one of those teams is the Niners.
“The ultimate question is how much do the San Francisco 49ers value Mykel Williams?” Wilcox wrote in a July 16 article. “He played just nine games as a rookie after a torn ACL ended his rookie campaign early. He recorded just 11 tackles and one sack. The problem here with the 49ers is I’m not sure if Alfred Collins has enough value to make it worth it.
“While adding Carter would give them a lot of depth on their defensive line, they’d be down a pass rusher. They could get away with it with Nick Bosa coming back from injury as well, but is it worth it to them? That’s the question they’re going to have to ask.
What Would the 49ers Need to Include In a Trade Package?
Last season, Carter played 640 snaps on defense for the Eagles, leading to a 60.0 overall PFF defensive grade. Moreover, he generated 41 total pressures, three sacks, 30 hurries, and eight QB hits. Meanwhile, against the run, recorded 18 solo tackles.
As for what the 49ers would need to give up in a package for Carter, Wilcox believes that one of Bosa or Williams will need to be part of the trade.
“But Philadelphia needs pass rush help badly, which is why Williams or Bosa would have to be part of the deal,” Wilcox added in his article. “With Carter and Williams being similar in age, that’s why I went that route.
“The 49ers can’t be afraid to make big moves when you look at the rest of this division. They have to play the defending Super Bowl champions twice and deal with Myles Garrett and the Los Angeles Rams twice per year. They can’t get left behind by not bolstering their team in any way they can. Adding Carter is just that, but it also means they’re sacrificing a major piece of their future.”
Niners Receive Blunt Jadeveon Clowney Message
Nonetheless, if the 49ers don’t want to trade assets away, they can dip into the veteran free agent market. Recently, Larry Krueger of KNBR urged the Niners to go after veteran pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney.
“Jadeveon Clowney is 33, and he’s been really productive recently,” Krueger said in a July 9 video on his YouTube channel. “He’s had 23.5 sacks over the past three seasons in the NFL. This guy’s still getting it done. He’s also very versatile. You can line him up on the right side, on the left side or in the A-gaps; you can walk him up on the line of scrimmage like a linebacker in a five-man front. You can play him as a stacked linebacker on the second level or as an off-ball linebacker.
“There are a lot of different things you can do with Jadeveon Clowney. He’s very versatile, and those 23.5 sacks over the past three seasons show he still has it. Plus, he had 8.5 sacks last year with the Dallas Cowboys, whose defense was horrendous, the worst in football. But Matt Eberflus was there, and now Eberflus, who coached Clowney in Dallas, is in San Francisco.”
49ers Receive Compelling Trade Idea for Eagles’ Jalen Carter