Getty The 49ers suddenly need to find a replacement for Hassan Ridgeway. One free agent visited on December 7, 2022.
The San Francisco 49ers have hosted five different defenders in nearly the last 24 hours: Four linebackers, one interior defensive lineman.
The latest visitor on Wednesday, December 7 is not only a former second round draft selection once paid $6.9 million by the Atlanta Falcons, but his visit comes off the heels of defensive tackle Hassan Ridgeway dealing with a pec injury that will sideline him extensively.
‘Aggressive’ & Versatile DL Visited Niners
Via the league’s transaction wire, former 47th overall pick of the 2020 NFL Draft Marlon Davidson took a trip out to the Bay Area to visit the 49ers.
Davidson was once on an entry level four-year, $6,912,370 contract after the Falcons grabbed him from Auburn. Before he came into the league, Bleacher Report NFL scout Matt Miller raved about the 6-foot-3, 303-pound Davidson’s aggression level and versatility.
“Davidson is an aggressive, physical defensive lineman who can play anywhere from a 1-technique to a 5-technique and will be scheme-versatile,” Miller wrote pre-draft. “He’s a bit more potential than production at this stage, but the pre-draft process showed his upside as a pass-rusher along the defensive line. He has the tools to be a rookie starter.”
And during his NFL combine appearance, Davidson gave a unique description of his game to the media.
“I can literally go out there and hit a man consistently, and pound him, and the police won’t come,” Davidson told reporters in Indianapolis.
“I can literally go out there and hit a man consistently, and pound him, and the police won’t come.”
—Auburn DE Marlon Davidson on what he loves most about football 😳 (via @TampaBayTre)
Davidson showed the exact line versatility Miller described in these series of short clips by B/R — which also highlights him lining up as an edge rusher and collapsing the pocket.
Falcons stacking their defensive line
Atlanta drafts Auburn DL Marlon Davidson with the No. 47 pick in the #NFLDraft
Davidson’s play drew comparisons to his former Falcons teammate Grady Jarrett and also got compared to five-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Jurrell Casey of the Tennessee Titans by Miller and B/R.
The former Tiger, however, never established any solid footing with Atlanta as he endured an injury marred start to his NFL chapter.
Davidson was limited to just eight games and zero starts in his rookie season. He ended up with just eight tackles, two solo stops and one pass deflection. His numbers slightly improved the following year — playing in 11 games, starting in one and going on to finish with 21 tackles, 12 solo stops, one tackle for a loss, one sack, one fumble recovery and even snatched an interception — which he returned for a touchdown when facing seven-time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on December 5, 2021:
OMG MARLON DAVIDSON PICK 6️⃣!
📺: FOX | @marlondavidson7
But again, injuries in his lower body hampered him during his time in Atlanta. He most recently dealt with a knee injury that required getting it scoped. The Falcons eventually released him on October 25, 2022.
Could Davidson be a Fit?
Ridgeway’s pec injury is anticipated to cause him to miss between six to eight weeks per ESPN NFL insider Field Yates.
Before the upper body ailment, Ridgeway played in 12 games with seven starts for the 49ers. He ended up delivering career-bests with 28 tackles and 14 solo stops per Pro Football Reference. His three stops behind the line of scrimmage not only matched his 2017 total with the Indianapolis Colts, but it represented his most stops behind the line since 2019 when he was with his last NFL employer the Philadelphia Eagles.
While Davidson’s first NFL stop saw minimal results due to injuries, his trench versatility is capable of making him an emergency fit for the 49ers. Already, there are 49er fans who would welcome the idea of the former Southeastern Conference (SEC) defender coming on board.