The biggest question nobody is asking about 49ers (and how they answer it)

As the San Francisco 49ers head into the start of training camp, a lot of the talk is about how the team is much deeper this year, and health should be on their side at some point. There is discussion about depth chart battles, and of course, Brandon Aiyuk. One lesser-discussed topic is the edge rusher room, and it brings plenty of questions that might not be answered until the season starts. 

San Francisco 49ers' edge rusher room is quietly the biggest question 

On paper, the group looks fine with limited questions. While Nick Bosa and Mykel Williams both have good chances to enter the year healthy due to the timing of their injuries, they both bring just enough questions that things could get interesting when the season starts. 

Not only is Bosa coming back from an ACL injury, but he was also seeing his play slowly decline before that. He had 18.5 sacks in 2022 and dropped to 10.5 sacks in 2023. In 2024, he had nine sacks, and then in 2025 he had two sacks. 

Bosa is now 29 years old; his last two seasons have featured injuries, and his last three years have featured a drop in production. Being healthy from the ACL injury and being back to the Bosa that 49ers fans know are different discussions. For now, all we know is that he is healthy.

The same can be said for Williams. The 49ers were finding a role for Williams when he went down with his ACL injury. He had just recorded his first sack, although it came as an inside rusher. 

The best work from Williams as a rookie was as an inside rusher. Williams was sturdy against the run on the outside, but did not have much pressure production. So, Williams could be healthy from the ACL injury, but that does not mean that he is ready to take a step forward and live up to being a top 12 pick. 

If Bosa is a touch older and slower, and Williams is better as an inside rusher without much progress from when we last saw him, the room is going to be overrated on paper. They do not have the depth to overcome these two struggling to hit their potential outcomes. 

It is easy to look at their statuses and resumes on paper and think they will be fine if healthy, but both rushers have major answers to provide this year.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/49ers/onsi as The Biggest Question Nobody Is Asking About 49ers (And How They Answer It).