The 49ers are adding another body to the edge-rush mix after an early camp scare on the defensive line.
After Romello Height was carted off with cramps, San Francisco moved quickly to shore up its pass rush depth, signing defensive end KJ Henry following a workout at the team’s facility, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.
Henry comes to the 49ers with some familiar baggage: he was a fifth-round pick by the Commanders in 2023, and he’s been on the move since. Most recently, he spent the spring with the Pittsburgh Steelers after earlier stops with the Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys and Cleveland Browns.
There’s no question about the raw tools. Over five seasons at Clemson, Henry put up 13.5 sacks and 28.5 tackles for loss, flashing the kind of lateral quickness that can help him win to the tackle’s inside shoulder and the flexibility to bend around the edge. The problem has been turning that college production into consistent NFL impact.
In Washington, Henry managed 1.5 sacks in his first and only season, and he hasn’t topped that total anywhere else in the league.
This isn’t unfamiliar territory for San Francisco. The 49ers had already shown interest in Henry before the 2023 draft, even bringing him in for a Zoom interview.
For now, the move gives the Niners 10 defensive ends on the roster. Henry looks like a long shot to crack the 53-man group, with Nick Bosa, Mykel Williams, Height and Keion White all viewed as locks and Sam Okuayinonu a strong bet to join them.
Still, there’s a reason teams keep making these kinds of bets. Henry has the kind of physical upside that can make a low-cost flier worth the gamble, and if he can do enough in camp and the preseason to stick on the practice squad, this could end up being a smart July addition for San Francisco.
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