Last offseason the 49ers opted to address their pass rush through free agency, bringing in Leonard Floyd and Yetur Gross-Matos to play EDGE alongside Nick Bosa and Drake Jackson. Of the four only Floyd played in all 17 games, and Jackson missed the season entirely with injury. Now, Floyd and Gross-Matos are both due significant pay raises headed into the last year of their two-year contracts and Jackson is headed into the last year of his rookie deal, keeping the future of the 49ers pass rush opposite Bosa a huge question mark.
While, we'll keep our fingers crossed that Deommodore Lenoir's
recruitment pitch to Myles Garrett pays off, for now, we'll look to the 2025 draft for help. One of the more interesting names to watch will be EDGE
James Pearce Jr. out of Tennessee.
Pearce's stock has slipped from potentially being in contention for the top pick of the draft in the pre-season, but he remains a talented pass rusher with incredible upside. While the speed rusher flashes impressive burst and bend to get after the QB, his technique can be refined to make him even more effective and his edge setting against the run will need some work. If the Niners are willing to be patient and deploy Pearce as a situational pass rusher as a rookie while he raises the rest of his game, he could form a devastating tandem with Nick Bosa in 2026 and beyond.