As the news broke that the Dallas Cowboys traded Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers, second-year defensive tackle Evan Anderson cleared waivers and plans to join the San Francisco 49ers’ practice squad.
Anderson was waived because the 49ers felt like they could upgrade at defensive tackle. They weren’t the only team to put in a claim for second-year defensive tackle, and that’s a good sign. The Cincinnati Bengals wanted to get their hands on former Jacksonville Jaguars fourth-round pick Jordan
Jefferson, but the Niners were higher in the waiver wire order.
General Manager John Lynch said that Jefferson was a player the team liked during his college days at LSU. Defensive coordinator Robert Saleh says he’ll learn more about Jefferson in the coming days at practice:
We’ll get to learn him. You know, there was a lot of love for him coming out of the Draft, a big, powerful man, very good at the point of attack. He is coming from a completely different technique. So, we’ll take a couple days to learn him and I’ll have a better answer for you, I guess is my long answer.
Jefferson played fewer than 150 snaps as a rookie. However, he went against some quality offensive lines. I watched him against the Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, and the Philadelphia Eagles. In each of those games, Jefferson had a few plays where he flashed his brute strength.
You could see why a team like the 49ers, which was easily pushed around along the interior last year, would want a player like Jefferson, who hardly budged against double teams. Jefferson may not have had the pressure or sack numbers as a rookie — and that’s unlikely to change in San Francisco, as his pass rush is not his calling card. But the run defense was closer to a B+ and on the Niners, that could be a game-changer, even if it’s only for 10-15 snaps a game.
Jefferson joins the other rookies on the roster who all have the same calling card: Elite run defenders. The Niners have been consistent in that approach all offseason, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see Jefferson earn snaps over a Kalia Davis or, eventually, Jordan Elliott — whose contract voids after this season.
