The defensive end spot is one of the key areas the 49ers have to address during the 2023 free agency period. Not that every team can’t always use more pass rushers, but for San Francisco the situation is particularly dire. DEs Samson Ebukam, Charles Omenihu and Jordan Willis are all due to hit unrestricted free agency this offseason, leaving the 49ers with Nick Bosa and second-year DE Drake Jackson as their only two options on the edge. Whether they can count on Jackson to be the starter opposite Bosa remains to be seen, which is why Football Outsiders’ Aaron Schatz tabbed veteran DE Yannick Ngakoue as a free agent fit for San Francisco.
It’s hard to argue with the logic connecting Ngakoue to the 49ers. He’ll be 28 at the start of the season and he’s tallied 8.0 or more sacks in each of his seven seasons. Last year he put up 9.5 with the Colts. Ngakoue struggles some defending the run, but lining him up in sub packages where he can strictly get after the quarterback would still allow him plenty of opportunities to impact games.
