The San Francisco 49ers could use some added depth up front. Injuries to Alfred Collins and Sam Okuayinonu have thinned out the defensive line early in the year. San Francisco finished with zero sacks in their opener despite the win. It’s a reasonable moment for the team to explore the open market.
Matt Barrows of The Athletic laid out four names San Francisco could target. Each one solves a different kind of need.
A Familiar Face in Leonard Floyd for the 49ers
Leonard Floyd brings real familiarity to the table. Raheem Morris coached him last season in Atlanta, and Floyd already has ties to San Francisco from a stint there in 2024. That comfort level comes with modest recent production, though, with Floyd managing just 3.5 sacks under Morris a year ago at age 34.
Haason Reddick’s Fit in San Francisco
Haason Reddick solves a more scheme-specific issue. He’s built lighter than a typical edge rusher, closer in style to what Romello Height brings than a traditional power end. Barrows views that as the bigger selling point, a rusher whose frame and skill set already mirror the defense Morris is putting together in San Francisco. Reddick turns 31 this year. He appeared in 13 games for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last season, managing 2.5 sacks.
Joey Bosa as an Option for the 49ers
Joey Bosa remains a name tied to San Francisco as long as he hasn’t retired. His brother Nick Bosa already anchors the other edge. Durability is the concern with Joey over a full 17-game season. An eight-game window might make more sense. He produced five sacks and 54 quarterback pressures for the Buffalo Bills last year.
Yetur Gross-Matos’ Ties to San Francisco
Yetur Gross-Matos is the name with the most familiarity built in. He’s coming off two seasons in San Francisco, though a knee injury cut into how often he was on the field for most of that stretch. The production was real when he did play. Only Nick Bosa posted a better pass-rush win rate on the team last year than Gross-Matos’ 16.3 percent mark. He’s still working his way back from that same knee injury right now, but a midseason return isn’t out of the question.
Any of these additions would come cheap relative to the impact. That kind of low-cost depth matters most for a defensive line still waiting on Mykel Williams to clear the PUP list.
49ers Get 4 Free-Agent Options After Season-Ending Injuries