The San Francisco 49ers‘ pass rush was a major problem in 2017, as the Niners finished tied for 26th with just 30 sacks.
One of general manager John Lynch’s hopeful solutions was to grab former Utah EDGE Pita Taumoepenu in that year’s NFL Draft — selected in Round 6, No. 202 overall.
While raw, the 6-foot-1, 245-pound Taumoepenu fits the bill for a prototypical edge rusher in coordinator Robert Saleh’s defense. Saleh likes his edge benders to be on the shorter side, using speed and agility above brute strength.
And while Taumoepenu was a non-factor his rookie year, the 49ers hope he can start to develop into the kind of player who registered nine sacks his senior year in college.