The San Francisco 49ers have ended one veteran’s stay after less than a month while taking a late look at another former NFL draft pick.
San Francisco announced on August 24 that it signed defensive lineman Viliami Fehoko Jr. to a one-year contract and released tight end Josiah Deguara to create the roster spot. Deguara’s departure comes just 24 days after the 49ers signed him on July 31.
The timing makes both sides of the transaction worth watching. The 49ers recently got George Kittle back on the active roster, re-signed young tight end Khalil Dinkins and, one day before adding Fehoko, auditioned three pass rushers as they continue reshaping the bottom of the roster ahead of final cuts.
Viliami Fehoko Jr. Gets Late Shot With 49ers
Fehoko, 26, was one of three pass rushers the 49ers worked out over the weekend along with Diwun Black and Ron Stone. San Francisco ultimately chose the former Dallas Cowboys fourth-round pick.
Dallas selected Fehoko No. 129 overall in the 2023 NFL draft after a productive career at San Jose State. The 6-foot-4, 267-pound defensive lineman finished his five college seasons with 191 tackles, 46 tackles for loss and 23 sacks, according to the 49ers.
He was also named the Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year in 2022.
Fehoko has yet to establish himself at the NFL level, however. He spent time with the Cowboys, Washington Commanders and Indianapolis Colts organizations without appearing in a regular-season game. Indianapolis waived him on April 30.
That makes this less about San Francisco adding an established contributor than giving a once-promising draft pick one more audition.
The 49ers had an opening to examine another defensive lineman after waiving/injuring Xavier Thomas while bringing Dinkins back. Fehoko now gets a short runway to show the coaching staff whether his college pass-rush production can translate into useful depth.
With the NFL’s final cutdown approaching, even sticking around on the practice squad could become a realistic objective.
Josiah Deguara’s 49ers Stay Ends After 24 Days
Deguara’s exit is notable because of how quickly San Francisco moved on.
The 49ers signed the former Green Bay Packers third-round pick on July 31. Deguara brought considerably more NFL experience than many players fighting for reserve jobs, having appeared in 77 regular-season games with 12 starts entering his stint in San Francisco. He had totaled 53 catches for 471 yards and three touchdowns.
But the complexion of the tight end room has changed over the last several days.
San Francisco activated Kittle from the PUP list on August 23 as the seven-time Pro Bowler works back from the torn Achilles he suffered in January. Had Kittle remained on PUP through final cuts, he would have been required to miss at least the first four games of the regular season. His activation keeps open the possibility of a much earlier return.
The 49ers also brought Dinkins back on a three-year deal after previously waiving the undrafted Penn State product from the non-football injury list.
Neither development alone necessarily doomed Deguara, but together they changed the numbers at his position. San Francisco decided the roster spot was more valuable as another defensive-line audition.
That leaves Fehoko with little time to make an impression — but also with a clear opportunity. A player who once produced 23 sacks at San Jose State is now getting a late-summer look from his hometown NFL team, with roster decisions rapidly approaching.
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