San Francisco 49ers DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Bryce Huff appears to be likely on his way to the San Francisco 49ers. The two sides are reportedly finalizing a deal that would send Huff to San Francisco for a mid-round draft pick. Huff still has two years left on a three-year deal he signed with the Eagles last offseason. He was limited to 12 games due to injury and his stats reflected it. Huff finished with 13 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and one fumble forced during his first season with Philly. In 2023, Huff recorded 10 sacks in 17 games with the New York Jets, so the talent is certainly there. The trade can't be processed until after June 1, so expect something to happen shortly after that.

There is still no official timeline for San Francisco 49ers Brandon Aiyuk's (knee) return in 2025, but general manager John Lynch expressed some optimism regarding his recovery from a torn ACL and MCL in his right knee that he suffered last October. "Brandon's tracking in a good way with his knee, and you've just got to kind of let that play out," Lynch said. "We're not going to put him out there until he's ready, but we're excited with our receiver group and where we're at." Aiyuk will most likely not be ready for the start of the 2025 regular season, but if he continues to make strides in his rehab, he could return sooner than later. Regardless, the 27-year-old's fantasy stock has taken a big hit after he caught just 25 passes for 374 yards and no touchdowns in seven games before his season-ending injury last year. Until Aiyuk is able to return, Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall (hamstring) will be the team's top wideouts.

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall (hamstring) is dealing with a hamstring injury and likely won't return to practice until training camp at the end of July, according to head coach Kyle Shanahan. It doesn't sound like it's a serious injury for Pearsall, the but Niners won't take any chances with last year's first-rounder after he also dealt with hammy issues going into his rookie season in 2024. The 24-year-old pass-catcher then suffered a gunshot wound to his chest and didn't make his NFL debut until Week 7. He's expected to have a key role in the offense in his sophomore season with Deebo Samuel Sr. no longer in town and Brandon Aiyuk (knee) unlikely to be ready for the start of the season, but Pearsall is going to lose valuable reps this offseason to gain chemistry with quarterback Brock Purdy. Pearsall could still be ready for Week 1, but this news doesn't do anything to dispel the notion that Pearsall is injury-prone.

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle recently said he was impressed that wide receiver Jacob Cowing, who weighed 168 pounds at last year's scouting combine, added more weight in the offseason. Cowing also trained with quarterback Brock Purdy in Jacksonville and Arizona this offseason, signaling he wasn't happy with a 2024 rookie season in which he was used sparingly on offense. The 24-year-old only caught four passes last year, but The Athletic's Matt Barrows thinks he should be an asset on quick-hitters and jet sweeps that went to Deebo Samuel Sr. in recent years. The former fourth-rounder (135th overall) out of Arizona could have a bigger role early in the 2025 season with Brandon Aiyuk (knee) rehabbing an injury and Demarcus Robinson facing a potential suspension, but for now, Cowing will just be one to keep an eye on during training camp.

San Francisco 49ers rookie defensive end Mykel Williams shouldn't have trouble finding playing time early in his career and should be an immediate asset in run defense due to his exceptional power, according to The Athletic's Matt Barrows. The 49ers have their three best edge rushers in Williams, Nick Bosa and Yetur Gross-Matos in the Kyle Shanahan-John Lynch era. The question is how good of a pass-rusher Williams can become, as he mostly won via sheer strength in college. How quickly Williams is able to incorporate finesse moves and creativity with his pass rush will determine whether he's solid or exceptional in his first season in the NFL. San Fran took the Georgia product with the 11th overall pick in this year's draft. He won't turn 21 until June 29. Williams has the skills to be a very good pass-rusher for the Niners in the long term.