The San Francisco 49ers have retooled their roster in an attempt to bounce back in 2025. The 49ers recently traded for Bryce Huff and reunited him with defensive coordinator Robert Saleh.
Despite coming off a down year with the Philadelphia Eagles, there are two big members of the organization who have high hopes for Huff. Kyle Shanahan and Trent Williams each brought up Dee Ford when speaking about Huff.
Williams said, "He's going to bring that speed demon off the edge, that guy that it's going to require a running back or chip opposite of Nick. I think he adds that kind of that Dee Ford effect where they had in '19 that took them to the Super Bowl. One of the reasons we had a really, really good defense for those couple years is having that guy who can actually make that quarterback step up by getting a good jump off the ball and being able to bend the edge."
Both Kyle Shanahan and Trent Williams invoked Dee Ford's name when asked about DE Bryce Huff today.
— Nick Wagoner (@nwagoner) June 10, 2025
"He's going to bring that speed demon off the edge, that guy that it's going to require a running back or chip opposite of Nick," Williams said. "I think he adds that kind of…
Bryce Huff Compared to Dee Ford
Shanahan also stated, "When you talk about just getting off the ball and how fast he does it. He will be our best get off the ball guy we've had since [former DL] Dee Ford. So in terms of that, it's good to beat tackles that way, but also widens tackles to help with the inside pass rush and things like that and he affects the quarterback.”
Huff is known for his speed off the edge. He developed and thrived under Robert Saleh with the New York Jets. In 54 career games with the Jets, Huff compiled 65 total tackles, 43 QB hits, 17 TFLs, and 17.5 sacks.
He wasn't able to ever find his groove with the Eagles, logging 13 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and four QB hits. Eagles DC Vic Fangio blamed his wrist injury and playing in a different scheme for his poor play.
While he has the ability to be productive, being compared to Ford is some added pressure. He was known for using his speed to be an effective pass rusher.
He dealt with multiple injuries during his time with the 49ers, but was a good weapon for them when he was on the field. Over 18 games for San Francisco, Ford had 22 total tackles and 9.5 sacks, including 6.5 sacks in 2019.
If Huff can play like he did in New York, the 49ers' defensive line will reach another level in 2025, considering they already have one of the best in the league with Nick Bosa on the other side.