The San Francisco 49ers swapped Day 3 picks with the New England Patriots on Tuesday in a trade for defensive end Keion White, a former second-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
San Francisco got White and
a 2026 seventh-round pick, while the Patriots got a 2026 sixth-round pick in return. White was a player who was seemingly on the outs in New England under a new coaching staff, being a healthy inactive this past weekend and not seeing much production this year.
In 2024, he had a career-high five sacks in more of a versatile role, getting a ton of his pressure from the interior as a bigger defensive end. That fits well with what the 49ers like to do defensively, as White fits the mold of former players like Charles Omenihu and Arden Key. He’s only 26 and will have one more year of team control after 2025.
The 49ers desperately needed pass-rush help after an ugly day against the Houston Texans this weekend, where they couldn’t affect C.J. Stroud in the pocket at all, leading to his best game of the season.
Injuries have ravaged the 49ers at the position. They lost star Nick Bosa to a torn ACL, ending his season. Afterward, defensive ends Yetur Gross-Matos (hamstring), Bryce Huff (hamstring), and now Sam Okuayinonu (ankle) have all gotten hurt in recent weeks. While they’re expected back sooner rather than later, the 49ers’ depth and pass-rushing talent had gotten severely thin, especially after Trevis Gipson was claimed off the practice squad by the Carolina Panthers on Tuesday.
So, San Francisco was down to Mykel Williams and Robert Beal Jr. as the healthy defensive ends on its active roster, hence the trade for White. This type of low-risk move was the one expected from the 49ers, as head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch have both expressed an unwillingness to mortgage the future for a deadline deal.
But, are the 49ers done making moves? Even after the trade for White, an edge rusher move could still be in the mix.
As mentioned above, depth is a clear problem for the team right now. Moreover, the 49ers need pass-rushing juice, which they don’t have much of on their current roster. Following the Bosa injury, they’ve struggled to consistently get to the quarterback, although players like Bryce Huff have come up big in key moments.
Adding a player such as Miami’s Jaelen Phillips or another pass-rusher on the market would not only add more depth, but also give San Francisco some extra juice off the edge, allowing some of their bigger defensive ends to rush from the interior.
San Francisco has a number of quality versatile defensive linemen now with White, Williams, and Gross-Matos. All three can slide inside on passing downs, but the reliable depth on the outside isn’t there right now without Huff and Okuayinonu.
The price will definitely matter, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the 49ers went for another low-risk move or looked for an expiring deal to bolster the front seven.
