The San Francisco 49ers have a few holes to plug in the draft and free agency. With the way the season ended in Seattle, the 49ers’ offense needs speed at the receiver position and help up front on the offensive line. Defensively, the secondary, particularly the safety position, and the defensive line need additions. George Kittle is aiming for a Week 1 return, but that’s an optimistic timeline, so the 49ers will need to add a pass-catching tight end also. How much more does Christian McCaffrey have in the tank, and will Jordan James be able to replace him?
These are all questions the 49ers front office is asking. The question is, will these positions be addressed with draft picks or free agency additions? Bradley Locker of Pro Football Focus has identified the one free agent the 49ers need to pursue this offseason.
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San Francisco 49ers: EDGE Joey Bosa
PFF Free Agent Rank: No. 27
The 49ers crawled their way to the divisional round despite a plague of injuries on both sides of the ball. Even before Nick Bosa suffered a torn ACL in Week 3, San Francisco’s edge defender room was thin — something which John Lynch must focus on this spring.
Joey Bosa’s one-year stint with the Bills was generally favorable. The former Charger not only stayed healthy, but also got after the quarterback: His 85.5 PFF pass-rush grade was the eighth-best among qualified edge defenders. As the 49ers seek more viable options on the outside, pairing the Bosa brothers would be both a fun and sound football move.
The biggest concern about signing Nick’s brother was his durability, but last season, Joey was as healthy as he has been in a long time. Bosa finished with five sacks, which was good for 51st among EDGE players, but forced five fumbles, which was number one among all EDGE players. On 399 pass-rushing snaps, Bosa finished with 54 pressures (the most since 2021), 13 QB hits, 36 hurries, and 25 defensive stops.
Bosa will certainly have interest around the NFL, but his contract may push him out of the 49ers’ plans. Perhaps Bosa wants to play with his brother and will take a discount, but adding Joey would be a solid addition to a defensive line needing certainties with developing first and second-year players.
