Latest news has 49ers one step closer toward getting back to 2019 form
Per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the San Francisco 49ers re-signed veteran pass rusher Kerry Hyder Jr. on Friday, which gets them one step closer to achieving their goal of assembling an elite defensive line like the one they had back in 2019. “Kyle [Shanahan] and I started talking, ‘How do you improve this team?’” general […]
Per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the San Francisco 49ers re-signed veteran pass rusher Kerry Hyder Jr. on Friday, which gets them one step closer to achieving their goal of assembling an elite defensive line like the one they had back in 2019.
“Kyle [Shanahan] and I started talking, ‘How do you improve this team?’” general manager John Lynch said back in March. “And the one area that was glaring to us — and it’s interesting to say this because we were the No. 1 defense in football — but we felt like we’d fallen off maybe just a tad on the D-line.
“It wasn’t as dominant as we were accustomed to back in ’19. And we wanted to get back to that.”
Hyde is a key part of the 49ers' rotation along the interior of the defensive line and gives the defense a four-headed monster in Arik Armstead, Javon Hargrave, Javon Kinlaw, and himself. The quartet arguably represents the best interior d-line rotation in the NFL.
Now, the 49ers just need to solidify the starting defensive end position opposite superstar Nick Bosa. They lost Charles Omenihu and Samson Ekubam in free agency. 2022 second-rounder Drake Jackson and 2019 top-5 pick Clelin Ferrel are in the picture, but both players haven't proved they can provide quality, consistent reps in the NFL, just yet.
But in terms of Hyder Jr. – he will allow Armstead and Hargrave to stay fresh, which will simultaneously help Bosa get to the quarterback on an even more consistent basis, which is a scary thought.
Hyder was signed by the Detroit Lions in 2015 as an undrafted free agent out of Texas Tech. The 49ers brought him back into the fold in 2022 after a one-year hiatus with the Seahawks and now, he's set up for another season in the Bay Area. In all, Hyder Jr. has recorded 21.0 sacks, six forced fumbles, 29.0 tackles for loss, and 58 quarterback hits over the course of his career.
