San Francisco 49ers: Takeaways after the first two preseason games

Edge Rusher

Still today, one of the most glaring needs for this roster is a go-to edge rusher that could get to the quarterback. That became even more evident when the 49ers failed to record a sack in Saturday’s loss to the Texans.

It’s hard to put too much stock into just a first few preseason games, but that is exactly what this article is, and well, the 49ers knew they had to address this concern at some point.

The talent on the defensive line is not the issue. DeForest Buckner and Solomon Thomas are among two of the best young defensive talents in the NFL. The issue lies with Arik Armstead‘s inability to remain healthy and in not having a dominant edge rusher that can complement the interior pressure initiated by Buckner and Thomas.

The 49ers’ only move in the offseason to improve this area was signing Jeremiah Attaochu, but his best season was back in 2015, and he has only played in 12 games since. Robert Saleh has used Cassius Marsh,  Dekoda Watson, and Attaochu on the edge but neither has been able to make much of an impact.

John Lynch could look to bring in Elvis Dumervil who led the team in sacks last season and is currently a free agent, or they could continue to move Buckner around with the recent emergence of Jullian Taylor.

Of course, the consensus pick is for Lynch to pull the trigger on a trade for the Raiders’ Khalil Mack. But that doesn’t seem like the right move for a team that doesn’t know exactly where their expectations should be for the season.

There are many positives to take away from the first two preseason games. While the early indications are certainly trending up, it is still only two preseason games.

The biggest test will come against the Vikings in their opening week matchup, and it’s worth pointing out that Minnesota’s offense looks explosive with Kirk Cousins under center.