If the 49ers hold on to the No. 61 pick in the upcoming 2022 NFL Draft, there could be an impact player available who can bookend Nick Bosa on the defensive line.
There is no argument that when Dee Ford was on the field for the 49ers, the defensive line was incredibly difficult to stop. Unfortunately, the veteran edge rusher has not been healthy enough to play much since joining the team in 2019, only recording 378 total defensive snaps.
General manager John Lynch revealed at the NFL Annual Meetings in March that he doesn’t see Ford playing for the 49ers in the future due to lingering neck and back injuries.
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The 49ers have acquired several players over the last few years to bring speed and power opposite of Bosa, including Samson Ebukam and Charles Omenihu, who are both signed through the 2022 season. NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah believes the 49ers could find a long-term compliment for Bosa in the draft.
“61, there's some interesting names still out there,” Jeremiah said on Thursday. “I think you kind of look at their big, collapse-the-pocket edge rusher types, Alex Wright from UAB is intriguing at [6-foot-5], 271 pounds.
“They kind of used him a little bit inside and outside, but he's real, real explosive. He plays a little bit high but he's an intriguing, intriguing player. That one would be kind of interesting to me.”
In his three seasons at University of Alabama at Birmingham, Wright totaled 11.5 sacks, seven of which were in 2021, 91 tackles -- 19 for a loss in three seasons. In his final collegiate season, the edge rusher racked up 12 quarterback hits and forced two fumbles and was named C-USA Defensive Player of the year by ProFootballFocus.com.
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If Wright is unavailable at No. 61, Jeremiah believes there is another option for the 49ers to add to speed to the defensive line.
“A little bit shorter version of him I have rated higher is Josh Paschal from Kentucky,” Jeremiah said. “He’s a three-time captain, first of all. He's a great kid. He was a phenomenal leader and worker, all those things are off the charts, and he's got heavy, heavy hands.
“He can collapse the pocket, as well. Doesn't have big-time, burst and get off, which they usually like a lot there, but he'd be a good option there in terms of the value of that pick.”
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Paschal missed most of the 2018 season after being diagnosed with a malignant melanoma on his right foot. In his five seasons as a Wildcat the edge rusher recorded 13 sacks, five in his senior season. The 22-year-old also recorded 137 tackles, 35.5 for a loss and three forced fumbles.
The 49ers have often focused on the defensive line in the NFL Draft and they could continue this trend in 2021 to maintain their ability to stop the run and keep opposing quarterbacks under pressure.