As the 49ers get ready for training camp, most of the attention is landing on the usual suspects: a deeper roster, the hope that health finally cooperates, the depth chart fights, and, inevitably, Brandon Aiyuk. But the edge rusher group deserves a closer look, because it may be the part of this team with the most lingering questions.
At first glance, the room seems solid enough. Nick Bosa and Mykel Williams both have a real chance to open the year healthy, thanks to the timing of their injuries.
That’s the optimistic read. The harder part is figuring out what each player looks like once the season actually starts.
Bosa’s name still carries weight, but the recent production tells a different story. He posted 18.5 sacks in 2022, then dropped to 10.5 in 2023.
In 2024, he finished with nine sacks, and in 2025 he had two sacks. Now 29, he’s coming back from an ACL injury, and his last two seasons have included injuries while his last three years have shown a steady decline in production.
Being healthy and being the version of Bosa 49ers fans expect are not the same thing.
Williams brings a different kind of uncertainty. The 49ers were still trying to carve out a role for him when he suffered his ACL injury, and he had just picked up his first sack, coming as an inside rusher.
That was also where he did his best work as a rookie. On the outside, he held up well against the run, but he didn’t generate much pressure.
That leaves the 49ers in a tricky spot. If Bosa is a little older and a little slower, and Williams is still more useful inside than outside without a big leap from where he was last seen, then this group may not be as strong as it looks on paper. And there isn’t enough depth behind them to cover for both players missing their best-case version.
It’s easy to glance at the names, the injuries, and the resumes and assume things will sort themselves out if everyone is healthy. But the edge rusher room has real questions attached to it, and both Bosa and Williams still have to answer them.
In Other News...
49ers Already Have A Few Rookies Fans May Regret Watching Closely
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Willis is one of the more interesting cases because his path appears tied to development as much as immediate opportunity, and Halton may be even tougher for fans to track once camp gets rolling. He could blend into the background behind other defensive linemen before preseason games give him a better chance to stand out, which leaves the real question centered on who can turn limited reps into a lasting impression before the roster picture starts to harden. [Read more 🡒]
The 49ers Offense Finally Has The One Thing It Lacked
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On offense, the conversation is less about subtraction and more about finally adding the kind of help that was missing a year ago. San Franciscos wide receiver play never gave the unit enough juice, and the hope is that new pieces will change the equation by giving Brock Purdy more reliable answers and a more complete set of options. DeZhaun Stribling brings one kind of element, but the real question is whether the 49ers have found the kind of difference-maker that can turn efficiency into something more dangerous. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Fans May Need To Reconsider This Questioned Draft Pick
DeZhaun Stribling drew the kind of immediate reaction that usually follows a draft pick San Francisco fans are still trying to sort out, but the early noise around him may not have told the full story. The 49ers took him in the 2026 NFL Draft, and while the selection landed with some skepticism at first, later reporting painted a more favorable picture of where he stood on boards around the league.
Striblings appeal goes beyond raw upside. Evaluators have pointed to his blocking, speed and fit in an offense that can make use of those traits, and there is already some belief he could carve out a real role sooner rather than later. With a path that may open because of injuries and uncertainty at receiver, he has started to look less like a questionable pickup and more like the kind of sleeper who can force his way into the conversation. [Read more 🡒]