Robert Nkemdiche and two players who have no regular season NFL experience
We’re here. We’ve finally made it to the start of the 2022 season. The 49ers report to training camp today, and both Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch will speak this morning.
Before the Niners brass speaks, we might have word about a potential signing and perhaps a potential injury. Last week, there was a report that San Francisco signed former first-round defensive lineman Robert Nkemdiche.
That may have been a bit premature, as Howard Balzer of Sports Illustrated reported the 49ers worked out three defensive linemen. Nkemdiche was one of those names, as were T.J. Carter and Tomasi Laulile.
Carter is a 6’4, 289-pound edge rusher out of the 2020 NFL Draft class. Carter was a part of the Steelers’ 90-man roster last summer. There are no stats for Carter, indicating that he’s never appeared in a regular season game.
Laulile is a 27-year-old, 6’3, 300-pound defensive tackle out of BYU. There are no stats for Laulile in a regular season game, either, who signed with the Colts as an undrafted free agent after the 2018 NFL Draft.
Nkemdiche seems like the surest bet of the three based on NFL experience and what the Niners ask of their defensive lineman. Nkemdiche can play inside at defensive tackle in sub-packages as well as a base defensive end on early downs.
We’ll have more clarity on any potential signings once Shanahan and Lynch speak this morning.