The San Francisco 49ers are back at training camp, with the first practice happening this past Sunday. It was an eventful non-padded practice, with several of San Francisco’s stars on the field, including Fred Warner and Nick Bosa, who missed much of last season due to injury.
Bosa, who tore his ACL early in the season, was not among the group of players placed on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list and was out in uniform for the first day of camp. It’s been a different type of offseason than
usual for Bosa, as the veteran elected to rehab at the facility rather than do his usual offseason training at his home in Florida.
That has kept him in the building for every stage of the offseason, and he’s gotten to rehab with his teammates, in particular Mykel Williams, who is also recovering from a torn ACL.
Being in the building has also given Bosa a first glance at his new teammates on the defensive line. The 49ers added veteran Osa Odighizuwa to the defensive tackle mix via a trade with the Dallas Cowboys, giving the team some much-needed pass rush at the position.
They also added rookies Romello Height (edge rusher) and Gracen Halton (defensive tackle) to a young group that still includes 2025 rookies Mykel Williams, C.J. West, and Alfred Collins.
Height, who played at Texas Tech in 2025, was the team’s third-round pick and was considered one of the more accomplished pass rushers entering the draft. A six-year college player, he was one of the older prospects in the draft, but he showed quickness, good get-off, and strong production in his final season at Texas Tech, where he earned First Team All-Big 12 honors.
This offseason, he’s the player who’s caught Bosa’s eye.
“For rookie-wise, I’ve never seen a guy come in and get the scheme as quickly and seamlessly as he has,” Bosa said about Height. “Even when vets come in who haven’t played in this scheme, he’s gotten it quicker than I did. Just the way he picked it up, it just seems like second nature to him, and he’s super explosive. He’s got a bag of tricks in pass rush that you can tell he’s been coached well. And he’s a little older, so that might be a part of it for a rookie, but I think he’s going to contribute pretty quick.”
The 49ers need pass rush badly after their unit ranked 32nd in the NFL last season in sacks. Granted, Bosa’s return and the addition of Odighizuwa should certainly benefit that unit, but it’s clear the 49ers envisioned a pass-rush role for Height when drafting him in the third round this offseason.
With Bryce Huff’s sudden retirement, Height has a clearer path to earn snaps this season and will compete to climb the depth chart in camp. It’s a good sign that he’s already drawing praise from his teammates ahead of the season.
