The San Francisco 49ers look to be one of the top potential Super Bowl contenders in the NFC on paper. After an aggressive offseason, the 49ers are in a legitimate position to win another championship.
John Lynch and the front office have put together a strong offseason thus far. Among the most notable moves were the signings of star wide receiver Mike Evans and linebacker Dre Greenlaw. The 49ers made plenty of other moves as well.
While the offseason has been a success to this point, there are still some good free agent options available on the market. Could San Francisco still be open for business?
Adding another pass rusher could be a point of interest for the 49ers. Keeping that in mind, they have been predicted to make a move to poach a key 2025 starter away from the Dallas Cowboys.
49ers Urged to Sign Free Agent Pass Rusher Jadeveon Clowney
Fox Sports analyst Ben Arthur took a look at which teams should sign the best names available in free agency. When it came to Clowney, he firmly placed San Francisco as the predicted landing spot.
“The Niners could use some insurance behind star edge rusher Nick Bosa (coming off a torn ACL), as their pass rush struggled in 2025 with Bosa missing 14 games,” Arthur wrote.
“The 33-year-old Clowney, the first pick of the 2014 NFL Draft who’s now played for seven teams, has had at least 8.5 sacks in two of his past three seasons.”
Clowney was signed by the Cowboys following the start of the 2025 NFL season. After trading superstar pass rusher Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers, there was a clear need for help off of the edge. The former No. 1 overall pick lived up to their hopes.
In 13 games played, Clowney produced 41 total tackles to go along with 8.5 sacks, a forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, and four defended passes.
San Francisco Has the Makings of an Elite Defense
Looking at the current roster for the 49ers, the defense will have a good chance of being elite.
Assuming he can get back to full health, Nick Bosa is one of the best pass rushers in the NFL. Fred Warner is one of the best linebackers in the NFL. There are some questions about the secondary, but there is plenty of playmaking potential.
San Francisco only has a couple of question marks defensively. Those question marks have to do with depth.
Adding a player like Clowney would bring in elite depth. He would be capable of starting if called upon, but having him available in case of injury would be exactly what the team needed last season.
Only time will tell if the 49ers actually have interest in Clowney, but the idea makes a ton of sense.
49ers Predicted to Poach Key Starter Away From Cowboys