Let's revisit the DL position.

[Direckshun]

I think one thing we're learning this season, as if we didn't already know it, is that a phenomenal DL makes your entire defense look outstanding.

More to the point: we've got two Pro Bowl caliber linebackers on this team, and we need to keep them clean.

Other than finding more weapons for Mahomes, this must be the top priority of the offseason.

Under contract, we have:

DE: Clark, Kaindoh
DT: Jones, Wharton
DT: Saunders
DE: Danna

Free agents: DE Melvin Ingram, DE Alex Okafor, DT Jarran Reed, DT Derrick Nnadi

Ideally you want to enter the season with 5 DE, 5 DT.

Here are free agents in 2022.
Here are the draft prospects.

[Direckshun]

Originally Posted by O.city

Kpass with Kamara on the board is always gonna be irritating.

Uh, we took Kareem Hunt the very next round.

That's honestly going to be the case for every pick you make that wasn't a homerun -- there's always going to be some Pro Bowler you could have taken instead.

Kpass, for the record, was one of the most incredible physical specimens I'd ever seen at the Combine.

But we took a 6'7", 290 pounder and put him at rushbacker? That pick was very confusing to me.

[Toad]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Pass rusher seems pretty similar to QB.

Go big or go home. Once you get out of the 1st round (and really, typically the top half of the first round) your odds of finding a difference maker plummet. And then from about the middle of round 2 through round 5, all those picks are little more than punchers chances.

Finding quality pass rushers is hard as hell. That's why it surprises me how many of these older veterans end up settling for 1-2 year deals.

I thought the Bengals got an awfully nice deal on Trey Hendrickson at what is effectively 3/$44 million last season. To get a double digit sack guy with speed and strength for less than $15 million/season is a pretty good grab.

Yeah, I would agree that hitting on an elite DE outside the first half of the 1st round is tough. But, this is a quality draft year for DE. They gotta get quality youth at the position this year.

[kccrow]

I agree with DJ on ones that look to be turning a corner is Rasheem Green from Seattle. He's probably the top guy to keep an eye on if he isn't re-signed there. Completely forgot to put him on my list.

[Hog's Gone Fishin]

If we can make a good run post season it should go a long way towards getting some players to come back a little cheaper.

[Chris Meck]

Originally Posted by Toad

Yeah, I would agree that hitting on an elite DE outside the first half of the 1st round is tough. But, this is a quality draft year for DE. They gotta get quality youth at the position this year.

You know, I've been thinking about this too.

I don't think you need to have elite DE's-

I don't think Ingram is elite. I don't think Clark is elite.

Jones as a pass rusher certainly is, and as long as you have GOOD DE's, and another decent to good DT threat, I think that's good.

I'd LOVE an actual elite DE, like Clark was supposed to be. But this defense looks really good with just decent edge pressure.

I'd definitely bring Ingram back, sign an Ogbah type, and draft a DE at #32. Like Myjai Sanders or Drake Jackson, someone like that.

[Toad]

Originally Posted by Chris Meck

You know, I've been thinking about this too.

I don't think you need to have elite DE's-

I don't think Ingram is elite. I don't think Clark is elite.

Jones as a pass rusher certainly is, and as long as you have GOOD DE's, and another decent to good DT threat, I think that's good.

I'd LOVE an actual elite DE, like Clark was supposed to be. But this defense looks really good with just decent edge pressure.

I'd definitely bring Ingram back, sign an Ogbah type, and draft a DE at #32. Like Myjai Sanders or Drake Jackson, someone like that.

We’re basically on the same page. The only hair splitter is the definition of elite. With an investment of a first round pick, I believe the expectation would be to that anyone picked in the first would be expected to develop to ProBowl level.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by Chris Meck

You know, I've been thinking about this too.

I don't think you need to have elite DE's-

I don't think Ingram is elite. I don't think Clark is elite.

Jones as a pass rusher certainly is, and as long as you have GOOD DE's, and another decent to good DT threat, I think that's good.

I'd LOVE an actual elite DE, like Clark was supposed to be. But this defense looks really good with just decent edge pressure.

I'd definitely bring Ingram back, sign an Ogbah type, and draft a DE at #32. Like Myjai Sanders or Drake Jackson, someone like that.

It's not necessary, no.

But when Clark has games where he's truly impactful, the defense looks completely different.

They can be competent with merely average play at DE, I agree. But when Clark is playing like a dominant DE, this is one of the top 5 defenses in football. It's a big difference.

So if we can get someone that plays at that level more frequently than Clark does, that would probably be the biggest addition we could make. Grab a reliable veteran with a high floor and low ceiling (cover the 'adequate' option) and a young FA w/ a low floor and high ceiling who could potentially take us to the next level.

And then draft one in the 1st as we just need some athleticism there. Jones can do a lot to help turn that athleticism into production.

[Chris Meck]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

It's not necessary, no.

But when Clark has games where he's truly impactful, the defense looks completely different.

They can be competent with merely average play at DE, I agree. But when Clark is playing like a dominant DE, this is one of the top 5 defenses in football. It's a big difference.

So if we can get someone that plays at that level more frequently than Clark does, that would probably be the biggest addition we could make. Grab a reliable veteran with a high floor and low ceiling (cover the 'adequate' option) and a young FA w/ a low floor and high ceiling who could potentially take us to the next level.

And then draft one in the 1st as we just need some athleticism there. Jones can do a lot to help turn that athleticism into production.

yeah, here's the thing though: I think a GOOD DE, like say, an Ogbah-type that is GOOD but not elite and more consistent makes your defense better and more consistent than Clark, who disappears for long, long stretches of less than average play.

[Chris Meck]

I guess I'm saying-

we let the wrong DE go, and should've kept Ogbah.

We would've been better off.

And we'd be better off with Ogbah and Ingram than Clark and Ingram.

Just my opinion.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by Chris Meck

yeah, here's the thing though: I think a GOOD DE, like say, an Ogbah-type that is GOOD but not elite and more consistent makes your defense better and more consistent than Clark, who disappears for long, long stretches of less than average play.

Agreed.

I'll take consistently good over occasionally very good and frequently quite bad.

The only exception is if that 'very good' routinely shows up in the post-season. And I'm sorry, I just won't accept that claim for Frank Clark. He's no more likely to be great in a post-season game than he is in, say, the Bengals game where we NEEDED him to show up and help us lock in that 1 seed.

If you can't be counted on to show up with a 1 seed on the line, how can we expect you to be there in the post-season? He's just inconsistent; full stop. He's not a 'big game player' - he's just an erratic one.

[Buehler445]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Agreed.

I'll take consistently good over occasionally very good and frequently quite bad.

The only exception is if that 'very good' routinely shows up in the post-season. And I'm sorry, I just won't accept that claim for Frank Clark. He's no more likely to be great in a post-season game than he is in, say, the Bengals game where we NEEDED him to show up and help us lock in that 1 seed.

If you can't be counted on to show up with a 1 seed on the line, how can we expect you to be there in the post-season? He's just inconsistent; full stop. He's not a 'big game player' - he's just an erratic one.

Are people still asserting that Clark will "flip the switch" or whatever in the playoffs? I thought that ship had sailed.

Although he did have several very good pass rush reps that didn't make it home yesterday, so maybe he's getting healthy at the right time? Or whatever.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by Buehler445

Are people still asserting that Clark will "flip the switch" or whatever in the playoffs? I thought that ship had sailed.

Although he did have several very good pass rush reps that didn't make it home yesterday, so maybe he's getting healthy at the right time? Or whatever.

I suspect his usual defenders are. I dunno - I stopped caring.

[RunKC]

I’d bet Spags will want Veach to take a developmental guy with traits. They were rumored to be in on a trade for Charles Omenihu, who doesn’t look like he’s done much recently on paper but actually had 1.5 sacks for SF in their playoff game last weekend.

Guys like that are out there

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by RunKC

I’d bet Spags will want Veach to take a developmental guy with traits. They were rumored to be in on a trade for Charles Omenihu, who doesn’t look like he’s done much recently on paper but actually had 1.5 sacks for SF in their playoff game last weekend.

Guys like that are out there

Omenihu was a real nice get for SF. He and Key have been a nice little duo for them.

They've played well enough that Armstead is actually taking most of his snaps from the DT spot these days and it's changed the character of the 49ers defense quite a bit; closer to what they were when Buckner was wrecking stuff in the middle.

[O.city]

Those types of guys are out there available every year too. Grab a couple.