The 49ers have a new leader in sacks.
And he has yet to play a down with San Francisco.
The 49ers on Tuesday, less than two hours before the NFL trading deadline, wrapped up an agreement to acquire edge rusher Chase Young from the Washington Commanders for a 2024 third-round draft pick, a source confirmed to NBC Sports Bay Area.
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The third-round draft pick the 49ers are sending to the Commanders is a compensatory selection for the Tennessee Titans hiring Ron Carthon as general manager and the Houston Texans hiring DeMeco Ryans as head coach, a source confirmed to NBC Sports Bay Area.
Young is signed through the remainder of the 2023 season, and is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent in March.
Young was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 draft, but the Commanders did not pick up his fifth-year option for the 2024 season after two injury-plagued seasons in which he registered 1.5 sacks in just 12 games.
Young is off to the best start of his four-year NFL career with five sacks in seven games so far this season.
San Francisco 49ers
This is general manager John Lynch's second big in-season trade over the past two years after he acquired running back Christian McCaffrey from the Carolina Panthers last season.
Young brings some pass-rush ability to the 49ers that has been severely lacking this season. Nick Bosa, Javon Hargrave and Drake Jackson are tied for the team lead with three sacks apiece.
Jackson registered all of his sacks in the 49ers’ season-opening victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers but has barely touched the quarterback since Week 1.
The 49ers acquired defensive end Randy Gregory in a trade with the Denver Broncos on Oct. 6, but in the three games in which he has appeared, Gregory has one sack.
Bosa is far behind his production from a year ago, when he racked up 18.5 sacks and was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year. He recently admitted he believes he started the season slowly due to his 44-day contract holdout, which ended with him signing a five-year, $170 million contract extension.
Young and Bosa were teammates at Ohio State. Bosa was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2019 draft (behind Arizona's Kyler Murray), while Young was the No. 2 overall pick of Washington (behind Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow) in 2020.
The 49ers need more of a pass rush to take heat off a secondary that has been unable to slow down Minnesota quarterback Kirk Cousins and Burrow over the past two games.
The 49ers head into the bye week on a three-game losing streak and with defensive coordinator Steve Wilks under intense scrutiny.
Young is scheduled to make his 49ers debut on Sunday, Nov. 12, at the Jacksonville Jaguars.