The San Francisco 49ers’ pass rush was at the bottom of the barrel last year. The head of the snake, Nick Bosa, went down with an injury early in the season, and so did the rest of the production.
Bryce Huff’s hot start alongside Bosa cooled. He still generated pressure, but couldn’t convert that into sacks. The rookies looked like rookies. Alfred Collins made a couple of splash plays. CJ West was a net positive against the run. Mykel Williams was a difference-maker as a run defender. But all three went long stretches during games without being noticeable. Again, they were rookies.
Once Bosa and Williams went down, the depth was asked to start. That meant signing players off the street like Clelin Ferrell. It didn’t help that the team went two seasons without getting anything from Yetur Gross-Matos. That meant Sam Okuayinonu had to play most of the game, and Keion White couldn’t rush the passer from the inside because there were no other options on the edge.
ESPN went through what every team’s Achilles’ heel is to this point, and Nick Wagoner still believes it’s the pass rush:
Until proved otherwise: the pass rush and, by extension, the defense. In 2025, San Francisco finished last in the league in sacks (20), 31st in pressures (157) and 29th in pass rush win rate (29.2%).
On paper, the Niners should be much improved simply by getting defensive ends Nick Bosa and Mykel Williams back from torn ACLs. Bosa projects to return at the beginning of training camp or soon after. Williams might be a bit further behind but also has a chance to get back early in the season.
Just as important, the Niners added defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa via a trade with the Dallas Cowboys. Odighizuwa should be the best interior pass rusher the team has had since Arik Armstead‘s departure, bringing with him a 10% pass rush win rate that ranked ninth among defensive tackles in 2025.
Rookie Romello Height also brings pass rush potential to new coordinator Raheem Morris’ scheme as the Niners roll out more varied defensive looks. The pass rush is the key to unlocking it all, and if that group can take a step in the right direction, the 49ers should be much better defensively in 2026.
“Until proved otherwise” is fair. The upgrades are significant. Osa can bend. He’s an exceptional athlete. He’ll threaten quarterbacks and move quarterbacks off their spots in ways Armstead couldn’t. It also helps that Odighizuwa comes to the 49ers without durability issues.
The 49ers need Mykel to morph into a pass-rushing threat. They need Height to mimic Huff from a year ago. The pieces are in place, but there are enough “ifs” to second-guess whether the defensive line can match the same lines from the dominant days, like in 2022.
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