There’s a clear problem brewing on the San Francisco 49ers roster.
Depth on the defensive line has typically been a strength for the 49ers during the John Lynch-Kyle Shanahan era. This year has signaled a departure from that norm with a relatively thin group of pass rushers that features only three proven commodities on the edge.
The matter was exacerbated in the 49ers’ preseason finale when two of those proven commodities, Leonard Floyd and Yetur Gross-Matos, went down with knee sprains. Their near-term availability is still in question.
Adding another defensive end was always in the cards for the 49ers, but the two injuries ramps up the urgency for them to make an addition or two on the edge. One potential solution could come via free agency where recently-released Indianapolis Colts defensive end Derek Rivers now resides.
Rivers was the No. 83 overall pick in the 2017 draft by the New England Patriots. A torn ACL derailed his rookie season, and might have derailed his career entirely. He debuted in 2018 and posted 1.0 sacks in six games. Then in 2019 an injury in the preseason ended his year early. He returned in 2020 and played only eight games for New England before getting released. The Los Angeles Rams picked him up for the rest of the 2020 campaign, and he spent 2021 with the Houston Texans.
An injury in training camp two seasons ago ended his 2022 season before it started, and he spent most of the 2023 season on the Colts practice squad. Rivers was only with the Colts for a couple weeks in this year’s training camp before his release.
Any DE the 49ers acquire via free agency at this point is going to have some kind of significant warts. For Rivers it’s that his injury woes have limited him to only 24 NFL games, in which he’s totaled only 3.5 sacks.
San Francisco would be banking on a decent athlete at 6-foot-4, 248 pounds to come in and finally develop under defensive line coach Kris Kocurek. Rivers hasn’t really gotten consistent opportunities to play and the 49ers have been willing to take swings on players with some upside. They’d also be able to do so without making a waiver claim since Rivers’ veteran status allows him to avoid the waiver wire and enter free agency.
Perhaps Rivers just won’t ever be an effective NFL player. The 49ers need pass rushing depth though and a former top 100 pick is the type of player they’re liable to take a flyer on in hopes of reaching any remaining untapped potential.