The 49ers still have a hole at edge rusher, and if John Lynch isn’t rushing to solve it with a blockbuster, there’s at least another name worth watching: Jadeveon Clowney.
That’s the veteran alternative KNBR’s Larry Krueger pointed to while San Francisco continues to be linked to pricier names like Maxx Crosby and Joey Bosa. Clowney, Krueger noted, brings both production and flexibility to the table.
“Jadeveon Clowney is 33, and he’s been really productive recently, He’s had 23.5 sacks over the past three seasons in the NFL. This guy’s still getting it done.
He’s also very versatile. You can line him up on the right side, on the left side or in the A-gaps; you can walk him up on the line of scrimmage like a linebacker in a five-man front.
You can play him as a stacked linebacker on the second level or as an off-ball linebacker.
There are a lot of different things you can do with Jadeveon Clowney. He’s very versatile, and those 23.5 sacks over the past three seasons show he still has it.
Plus, he had 8.5 sacks last year with the Dallas Cowboys, whose defense was horrendous, the worst in football. But Matt Eberflus was there, and now Eberflus, who coached Clowney in Dallas, is in San Francisco.”
That 8.5-sack season last year didn’t exactly dominate the headlines, but it’s a strong reminder that Clowney can still make a real impact. The catch is that Dallas moving on from him can also make some teams pause if they’re trying to judge how much he has left.
He’s not Maxx Crosby at this point, and he’s probably closer to what Joey Bosa would offer - though even that comparison may undersell what Bosa still brings. The bigger question is whether Clowney can hold up through another NFL season and keep producing.
For now, he’s a name to keep on the radar as the 49ers look to round out their roster for 2026.
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