NFL Trade Deadline Tracker: There are still plenty of pass rush options for the 49ers
The 49ers lost out on Jaelan Phillips, but there are still three players that make sense for this defense.
The potential Miami Dolphins fire sale began on Monday morning. Jaelan Phillips reunited with former defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. The Eagles acquired Phillips from Miami for a third-round pick.
Phillips comes with immense pass-rush upside. Perhaps the dealbreaker for the San Francisco 49ers was that Phillips was under contract only for this season. Plus, he counts against the comp pick formula.
The Niners may turn their attention to New York, where the 2-7 Giants and 1-7 Jets have a couple of pieces along the defensive line that could help boost a 49ers pass rush that might miss first-round pick Mykel Williams for the rest of the season.
Kayvon Thibodeaux is under contract through the 2026 season. He had a pair of pressures and a run stop against San Francisco on Sunday. The week prior against the Philadelphia Eagles, Thibodeaux had four pressures and two stops. He’s a productive player who could slide into the role Mykel has played this season.
Over the weekend, it was reported that the Jets want a second-round pick or better for edge rusher Jermaine Johnson. He missed the 2024 season with a torn Achilles. In 2023, under Robert Saleh, Johnson had 15 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, and 53 pressures in his second season.
The Jets were on a bye this past week. Johnson has 13 pressures in five games this season, as well as 11 stops and a sack. A second-rounder for Johnson, who is signed through the 2026 season, may be rich, but there are ways to deal multiple picks to make them add up to the equivalent of a second-rounder.
Another player who might intrigue the 49ers is Arnold Ebiketie of the Atlanta Falcons, although his contract voids after this season. Still, he’s coming off a strong performance against the Patriots, where he had four pressures and three stops.
Johnson and Ebiketie, at least on the surface, look like the 49ers’ top two pass rush options on the market.
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