San Francisco 49ers: Top 5 AAF players the team should target

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AMES, IA – SEPTEMBER 3: Defensive lineman Seth Thomas #95, and defensive lineman Karter Schult #93 of the Northern Iowa Panthers tackled quarterback Joel Lanning #7 of the Iowa State Cyclones causing a safety on the play in the first half of play at Jack Trice Stadium on September 3, 2016 in Ames, Iowa. San Francisco 49ers AAF (Photo by David Purdy/Getty Images) /

4. Karter Schult, EDGE

The 49ers have already addressed one of their major areas of concern this offseason with the acquisition of 2018 Pro Bowler Dee Ford from the Kansas City Chiefs. Moreover, the team is likely to address the position in the 2019 NFL Draft and could very well do so with their first-round selection.

But as the old saying goes, you could never have too many pass rushers.

Last season, the 49ers were led in sacks by rising star DeForest Buckner, but his pressure came from the interior. Opposite Ford, the 49ers don’t really have a viable edge and even if they draft one, they could always use some extra depth. This is especially true following the departure of Cassius Marsh who tallied 5.5 sacks in a reserve role last season, good enough for second on the team behind Buckner.

That’s where a player like Karter Schult could come into play. Schult was one of the standout defenders in the AAF playing for the Salt Lake Stallions and could be on the radar of many NFL teams.

The Northern Iowa product is a bit undersized and doesn’t possess elite athleticism meaning he would likely struggle to keep up the same level of production at the next level. But the 49ers could use a high-effort, high-motor pass rusher like Schult to serve as rotational depth behind Ford and whoever they likely take in the draft.

You could never have too many pass rushers and you could never have too many players like Schult.