The San Francisco 49ers have been in the speculation mill, linking the team to veteran free agent pass rushers. However, one aspect that doesn’t come up often is the trade route.
San Francisco is betting on a healthy Nick Bosa to uplift the low sack total from last season. However, he has a history of injuries, so it would be wise for the Niners to have depth.
Among the names that have emerged in speculation, there’s been Joey Bosa and Jadeveon Clowney. Nonetheless, Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report pitches a trade that would see the 49ers land New York Giants edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux.
In this trade idea, the Niners receive Thibodeaux and the Giants get back a second-round pick in 2027.
“With veteran Brian Burns, second-year pro Abdul Carter and now rookie Arvell Reese on the roster, there has been talk for some time that New York Giants edge-rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux could be traded,” Davenport wrote in his article that was published on May 21.
“There were reports during the draft that the New Orleans Saints were interested in Thibodeaux, but trade talks fell apart when the Giants refused to move the fifth-year veteran for less than a second-round pick.”
Would the Niners Trade a Second Round Pick in 2027?
San Francisco would be rolling the dice in trading a second-round pick for Thibodeaux. The 25-year-old has yet to replicate his 11.5 sack performance from 2023. Last season, the edge rusher played 494 total snaps for the Giants, leading to a PFF defensive grade of 66.0.
Moreover, he generated 32 total pressures, three sacks, 23 hurries, and six QB hits.
“[A second round pick] may seem a steep price for a player who missed seven games and had a career-low 2.5 sacks last year, but Thibodeaux logged 11.5 sacks in 2023,” Davenport added in his article.
“The San Francisco 49ers are a Super Bowl contender with a pair of edge-rushers returning from ACL tears in Nick Bosa and Mykel Williams. If either experiences a setback this summer, that second-round pick might become a lot more palatable for a team in win-now mode playing in arguably the toughest division in the NFL.”
What’s the Latest on the 49ers and Joey Bosa?
Nonetheless, if the Niners feel like a second-round pick is too steep a price to pay, they can go the veteran free agent route instead of rolling the dice on someone like Thibodeaux, even if the potential is there.
As mentioned, the Niners and the older Bosa have been in the speculation mill and on May 16, David Lombardi of the SF Standard shared an update on the older Bosa situation.
[The 49ers] have money in the salary cap bank to be able to go out and make a move if one does make sense,” Lombardi said in a livestream on his YouTube channel.
“That does not mean they should go out and waste money or just sign Joey Bosa at whatever price he wants. They should still be judicious moving forward. Everybody is going to ask about Joey Bosa. They remain interested in Joey Bosa.”
It will be interesting if the 49ers decide to make any moves to bolster their pass rush, ensuring that’s not an area of concern this upcoming 2026 season.
49ers Land Compelling Trade Idea for Giants’ Kayvon Thibodeaux