The 49ers traded for defensive lineman Keion White this week, but that doesn’t mean they’re done adding pass rushers.
White is an interior rusher, similar to Mykel Williams and Yetur Gross-Matos. The 49ers still need a speed rusher off the edge to complement Bryce Huff and replace Nick Bosa.
With that in mind, here are seven edge rushers the 49ers could acquire before the trade deadline on Nov. 4.
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Hendrickson is the best edge rusher available on the trade market. He was a first-team All Pro last season, and he has recorded 81 sacks in his career — 16.5 more than Nick Bosa.
So why is Hendrickson available? He’s in the final year of his contract and he wants a massive extension that will pay him at least $35 million per season. And the Bengals don’t seem particularly eager to pay him. In fact, they seem willing to trade him for a first-round pick.
Which means Hendrickson might be too expensive for the 49ers. Not only would they have to trade their first-round pick to get him, they’d also have to give him an extension they probably can’t afford and shouldn’t pay considering Hendrickson will turn 31 in December.
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The Giants drafted him with the fifth pick in 2022, but he hasn’t lived up to his draft hype. In addition, the Giants have since acquired Brian Burns and Abdul Carter, two edge rushers who are better than Thibodeaux. So he has no future with the Giants.
Currently, the Giants are telling teams they don’t want to trade Thibodeaux, according to reports. But if they lose this weekend to the 49ers, which seems likely, they might change their minds, considering they would be 2-7.
Still, the Giants might demand a second-round pick, which might be too much for the 49ers, who probably are looking to shop wholesale.
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This might be the most realistic trade target for the 49ers. Johnson was a late first-round pick in 2022, and he played the first few seasons under 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh when he was the head coach of the Jets.
The Jets currently are going nowhere and would be smart to trade players for future assets. And Johnson is signed through 2026, so he’s not a one-year rental. And if anyone knows how to get the most out of him, it’s Saleh.
Johnson missed all but two games last season and has recorded just one sack so far this season. So maybe the 49ers could trade Ji’Ayir Brown and a fourth-round pick to the Jets for Johnson. The Jets might want Brown, because their defensive coordinator, Steve Wilks, coached him in San Francisco when he was a rookie.
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The Dolphins just fired their general manager, Chris Grier, which means they likely will be sellers at the deadline. And they have some edge rushers who could interest the 49ers, edge rushers such as Bradley Chubb.
Chubb missed all of last season with a torn ACL, but he has played in all nine games so far this season and recorded 4 sacks. He looks good. Still, he’s 29, he has a serious injury history. The 49ers should not offer Miami more than a fourth-round pick for him.
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Phillips is an explosive edge rusher who’s only 26. Given his age, he might be the best edge rusher the 49ers can acquire.
But, Phillips missed 22 games due to injury the past two seasons, and he’ll be a free agent after this season, which means the 49ers would have to let him go or sign him to a lucrative extension, and neither option might appeal to them. Phillips could be a long shot.
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Judon is 33, he’s in the final year of his contract, and he has zero sacks this season. Three years ago, he finished ninth in the Defensive Player of the Year voting.
Now, the 49ers probably could get him for a sixth-round draft pick. He definitely fits their budget, but he might not improve their pass rush significantly.
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The Titans almost certainly will be sellers at the deadline, and Key will not play this Sunday, presumably because they’d like to trade him.
The 49ers would be an obvious destination for Key, considering he played for them in 2021. But Key primarily is an interior rusher, similar to Mykel Williams and Keion White. If they’re looking for a pure edge rusher, Key isn’t their man, but he’s another player who would fit their budget.
