What’s next up for the San Francisco 49ers outside of finding a new defensive coordinator? Tackling some unanswered free agent questions.
In recent years, the reigning NFC champions’ front office has opened its wallet to build up a contender. High-profile offseason additions have included CB Chavarius Ward and DT Javon Hargrave. Of course, the trades for running back Christian McCaffrey and edge rusher Chase Young have also got to be factored in, even though both were mid-season additions.
Even more intriguing for a team aiming to get back to the big game? The 49ers don’t have many high-profile players who made PFN’s Top 100 list of 2024 free agents. This makes them fully capable of having the depth and talent to make another run.
However, this offseason is likely to be centered on restructured deals that keep the current model in place as much as possible. And in the case of this pair of top 100 defenders, the 49ers will more than likely have a tough time keeping this duo from drifting away.
San Francisco 49ers Free Agents
Chase Young, EDGE
- Ranking: 16
- Positional Ranking: 3
- 2023 Stats: Seven games (six starts), 25 total tackles (seven for a loss), 15 quarterback hits, 7.5 sacks
- Spotrac Market Valuation: One-year, $13 million
- Lorenzo Reyna’s Take: For what it’s worth, Young redeemed himself during the Super Bowl with two tackles, including a sack and an additional QB hit. But that was off the heels of a rather subpar NFC title game, which was preceded by a disappointing Divisional Round outing.
- At just 24, Young still has an intriguing ceiling. As the Super Bowl showed, he can still be a penetrating asset in passing situations. Nick Bosa has already made it clear he wants Young back in the Bay.
- However, with an expected $13 million value, the Niners will have a tough time keeping Young in the fold. He could find a richer deal elsewhere as a top three EDGE free agent for 2024.
Javon Kinlaw, DT
- Ranking: 86
- Positional Ranking: 10
- 2023 Stats: 17 games (six starts), 25 total tackles (four for a loss), six quarterback hits, 3.5 sacks
- Spotrac Market Valuation: Two years, $10.8 million
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- Lorenzo Reyna’s Take: The good news? Kinlaw played in 17 games after being limited to a combined 10 the past two seasons with chronic knee issues. The bad news? He still never truly lived up to his first-round billing, as he eventually lost ground to Hargrave in the two-deep.
- Yet, Kinlaw managed to produce career highs in sacks, QB hits, and tackles for a loss when called upon in a deep 49ers defensive line. And he did that with a new ailment — a torn thumb ligament.
- Given his past history of knee problems, teams may be more inclined to give Kinlaw a one-year “prove it” deal. Yet, after playing a full season for the first time in his career, Kinlaw could be very appealing to some teams that need interior help, especially in passing scenarios.
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