The 49ers head toward 2026 with real questions hanging over their pass rush, and the depth chart doesn’t offer many easy answers.
San Francisco finished dead last in the league with 20 sacks a season ago, and the offseason didn’t bring a sweeping fix. Raheem Morris is in as the new defensive coordinator, and the team is counting on both Nick Bosa and Mykel Williams to return from ACL tears. But the 49ers also lost Bryce Huff to sudden retirement and made no serious effort to keep Clelin Ferrell on the depth chart, even though he was tied with Huff for the team lead in sacks last year.
The only major investment came in the draft, when the 49ers used a high pick on rookie edge rusher Romello Height. That leaves plenty of room for concern if San Francisco wants more juice off the edge.
One possible answer could come from a cheap swing at a player who suddenly looks expendable in Tampa Bay. Josh Crysler of The Pewter Plank, a FanSided sister site to Niner Noise, floated the idea of the 49ers calling the Buccaneers about Chris Braswell, an edge rusher who may now be squeezed out after Tampa Bay’s own pass-rush shakeup.
The Bucs added Al-Quadin Muhammad and then used a top draft pick on Rueben Bain Jr., which pushed Braswell toward the outside of the picture.
Braswell was a second-round pick in 2024 out of Alabama, but his early NFL production has been modest: 2.5 sacks and 12 quarterback hits in 34 games. Even so, there’s still some belief that a fresh start could help the 6-foot-3, 255-pound defender find another gear.
“Still, entering the season at just 24 years old, there’s plenty of potential left to unlock. Braswell led the SEC in pressures in 2023, and as a prospect, was described by NFL Draft expert Dane Brugler as a high-effort, aggressive player with starting potential.”
For San Francisco, the appeal is obvious: low cost, young upside, and a chance to see whether Morris can get more out of him. A seventh-round pick or even a late-round pick swap could be enough to get a deal done.
That kind of price tag would make Braswell a worthwhile flier. If he hits, the 49ers get another pass-rush piece. If he doesn’t, the damage is minimal, and he still could serve as a rotational option.
Not a bad idea at all.
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