The San Francisco 49ers retooled their roster this offseason after their 6-11 record in 2024. Some of the biggest additions came on the defensive side of the ball, which started with Robert Saleh returning as defensive coordinator.
San Francisco was tied for 25th in team sacks (37) last season, and that isn't enough. They drafted Mykel Williams with the 11th overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft and traded for Bryce Huff to help bolster the defensive front.
Those two guys join Nick Bosa along the edge, and that could spell bad news for DE Robert Beal Jr. He was drafted in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL draft but hasn't been able to jump off the screen on tape.
Robert Beal Jr. Is on Thin Ice for 49ers
Beal Jr. has suited up in 18 games, logging 22 total tackles, one TFL, and one sack. He was rarely used in the pass rush rotation (15% of defensive snaps in 2023 and 17% of defensive snaps in 2024) and played the majority of the time on special teams. Beal Jr. played in at least 40% of special team snaps, including a career-high 66% in 2024.
According to PFF, he had a 55.3 overall grade (146th among 211 graded edge defenders), 52.4 pass rush grade (180th among 211 graded edge defenders), and a 56 run-defense grade (141st among 211 graded edge defenders).
Yes, Saleh enjoys having a deep rotation along the defensive line, but Beal Jr. hasn't shown enough promise to get after the quarterback consistently. Players like Sam Okuayinonu, Yetur Gross-Matos, Bosa, Huff, and Williams all have displayed they can get after the quarterback on the edge.
That's without mentioning Kevin Givens, CJ West, Jordan Elliott, and Alfred Collins along the interior. The 49ers will have some tough decisions to make, and training camp will give the coaching staff the chance to see who steps up.
Beal Jr. will get his chance to showcase that in a couple of weeks, but it doesn't look good for the 25-year-old making the team for the 2025 campaign.