49ers linked to Broncos' 7.5 sack defensive lineman to pair with Nick Bosa

This offseason, the San Francisco 49ers have some big needs to address on both sides of the ball. But, defensively, the top need is very clearly along the defensive line.

Their pass rush unit was, to put it bluntly, terrible last season. They finished the 2025 season with fewer sacks (20) than Myles Garrett (23) had in his record-breaking season. One player had more sacks than the 49ers did as an entire team.

To fix that, adding defensive linemen is a must. Amid such a clear need, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler links the 49ers to a Denver Broncos veteran defensive lineman coming off a 7.5 sack season in 29-year-old John Franklin-Myers.

49ers linked to John Franklin-Myers as Nick Bosa help

"They want a disruptive interior rusher to pair with Nick Bosa, for example," Fowler writes. "John Franklin-Myers is the top option there."

This comment from Fowler comes amid the ESPN insider calling the 49ers a "sneaky contender" for a top defensive lineman this offseason.

Franklin-Myers would be a great fit for the 49ers defense, as he could help provide a different level of pressure from the interior while Bosa and the other pass rushers handle the outside pressure.

The 29-year-old defensive lineman is coming off a strong year for the Broncos, recording 7.5 sacks in 16 games to go with 25 tackles and 15 quarterback hits.

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In his seven-year NFL career, Franklin-Myers has 34 total sacks with 200 tackles, 35 tackles for loss, and 94 quarterback hits. Since 2020, he's never finished below double-digit quarterback hits.

While there might be more eye-catching names in free agency that the 49ers could target to help the pass rush, like Jaelan Phillips, Trey Hendrickson, or Khalil Mack, adding someone like Franklin-Myers would give San Francisco exactly what they need.

Fowler is linking the 49ers to Franklin-Myers as a top option this offseason. The fit makes sense, and while it won't be cheap to bring him in, the veteran interior defensive lineman would be a fantastic free agent addition for a 49ers team in dire need of pass rush help.

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