The San Francisco 49ers had a challenging 2025 NFL season from a pass rush perspective. Last season, the Niners recorded only 20 sacks as a team, and while Nick Bosa was out for a good amount of the campaign, San Francisco can’t rely solely on him to get to the quarterback in 2026.
As a result, this offseason, finding players via free agency and the draft that can help get to the signal-caller will be vital for the 49ers. When it comes to the draft, the Niners are projected to pursue a pass rusher.
Matt Barrows of The Athletic issued his seven-round mock draft for the 49ers. For Barrows, selecting a young pass rusher in Round 1 is the route he sees the Niners going after Akheem Mesidor from the Miami Hurricanes.
“No, Miami defensive end Rueben Bain won’t be available at pick No. 27,” Barrows wrote in his mock draft that was published on Feb. 13. “But his bookend on the Hurricanes’ defensive line could be.
“Mesidor was nearly as destructive as Bain in 2025, finishing with 12.5 sacks and four forced fumbles. According to Pro Football Focus, he had a pass-rush win rate of 21.2 percent. To put that in perspective, Bain’s was 22.9 percent.”
Moreover, Barrows notes why exactly Mesidor could be available for the Niners to select late in the first round.
“So how does a guy with numbers like that slip to No. 27? Mesidor might not have elite length — his height and arm length will be scrutinized at the upcoming NFL Scouting Combine — and he’ll also turn 25 three weeks before the draft,” Barrows added. “That means he’s more than three years older than the 49ers’ first-round pick last year, Mykel Williams.”
49ers Also Need to Bolster Wide Receiver Group
While the pass rush is a major area that the 49ers need to improve, it’s not the only one. The wideout group needs improvement as Jauan Jennings could leave in free agency, and Ricky Pearsall had injury issues that plagued him in the 2025 season.
As a result, NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco believes the 49ers need to address this position in free agency and even floated a name to target.
“The player that I would keep an eye on from the free‑agent market is scheduled to hit the market and probably will not be designated as a franchise player by his team, and that is Alec Pierce from the Indianapolis Colts,” Maiocco said in a YouTube video on Feb. 13. “When I look at Pierce, this is a guy who has good size — 6‑foot‑3 and 215 pounds.
“He’s very fast. He’s not a slot receiver, so he’d be playing on the outside. But the one thing that really separates him is just his ability to make big plays, and that is something that the San Francisco 49ers offense was severely lacking in 2025.”
Could the Niners Target a Packers Player in Free Agency?
Pierce isn’t the only wideout name that’s being floated by a reporter who covers the 49ers. The San Francisco Standard’s David Lombardi shared his take on a potential target that the Niners can pursue to begin reshaping their wideout position.
“I think, at receiver, if you’re the 49ers, that’s where you’re looking at multiple pickups, both through the draft and possibly through at least mid‑tier free agency,” Lombardi said in a Feb. 1 video published on his YouTube channel. “You face a lot of potential pitfalls at wide receiver with the separation issues that the 49ers have struggled with over the past two years.
“Romeo Doubs is a target I really like, formerly of the Green Bay Packers. His market rate might only be [$12 million] to [$15 million], especially if you can’t bring back Jauan Jennings because he costs closer to [$20 million]. Doubs could be a really, really nice pickup for the 49ers.”
49ers Receive Huge Draft Message Involving Akheem Mesidor