The 49ers reportedly are making a big addition to their defensive line, and one NFL analyst believes Nick Bosa could be a major beneficiary.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Friday that San Francisco is finalizing a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles for 27-year-old pass rusher Bryce Huff. After going undrafted in 2020, Huff recorded 10 sacks for the New York Jets in 2023 under Robert Saleh, who has since returned to the Bay as the 49ers’ defensive coordinator.
NFL analyst Brian Baldinger joined 95.7 The Game’s “Steiny and Guru” shortly after the news broke to evaluate the potential impact of the trade, particularly for Bosa on the other edge of the 49ers’ defensive line.
Like Huff’s unproductive one-year Eagles tenure, Bosa also is coming off a 2024 season to forget, when he was hampered by injuries but still tallied nine sacks.
“They’re paying [Bosa] to be an elite player,” Baldinger detailed. “I think Nick would be the first to tell you that he wasn’t very good last year, not good enough. Especially when the offense started to falter, the defense had to pick it up, and they didn’t do that.”
Along with Huff’s reported addition, the 49ers selected defensive linemen Mykel Williams and Alfred Collins early in the 2025 NFL Draft. With that rebuilt defensive front, Baldinger has high hopes for Bosa as Saleh retakes the helm.
“I think they’re going to put their four best pass rushers out there and let them go eat,” Baldinger explained, adding that the rookie Williams could rush from the inside. “If I’m Nick Bosa, I’m thrilled with this signing, because I thought that in New York, [Huff] brought some juice to that defense.
“… Robert Saleh is not a big blitzer. He’s not a guy that is going to wow you with free hitters to the quarterback. He wants a front four to win. They’re built upon that. I think Bryce Huff is a good rotational player that can win off the edge, that can help Nick get back to where he needs to be. I think Mykel and Alfred [Collins] — the guys they drafted — should play a prominent role. But I feel like the 49ers’ pass rush got better, and if that’s the case, I think Nick Bosa will see more 1-on-1s.”
All in all, Baldinger believes the San Francisco front four will improve immediately with Huff in the mix. And that should be a good sign for the defense as a whole.
“When the 49ers are rolling on defense, their front four is eating. They’re getting home, and they’re affecting the quarterback,” Baldinger added.
If the trade comes to fruition, Huff won’t be the first promising edge rusher that general manager John Lynch has brought in with the hopes of creating a dynamic duo alongside Bosa. Players such as Drake Jackson, Samson Ebukam, and Chase Young all haven’t quite lived up to expectations in recent years.
“If Bosa wants to be in that Mount Rushmore of pass rushers in this business, you can’t do it by yourself,” Baldinger concluded. “You’re going to need help from the inside and from the other side. I feel like they’ve been searching for that for a while now with Nick.”
After the 49ers lost several important defensive contributors this offseason, Huff projects to be a key factor if San Francisco can make another deep playoff run.
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