49ers add edge rusher in trade proposal from ESPN

ESPN's Ben Solak recently proposed several potential NFL trades ahead of the fast-approaching November 4 trade deadline. Among his suggestions, the San Francisco 49ers are identified as possible buyers—particularly in need of help along the defensive line after losing Nick Bosa for the season.

Through eight games, San Francisco has recorded just nine sacks, ranking near the bottom of the league. Only the Jacksonville Jaguars have fewer, with eight. According to Pro Football Reference, the 49ers' defense ranks last in the NFL in both total pressures (31) and pressure rate (10.5%).

To fix that, Solak proposes that the 49ers trade a 2026 sixth-round draft pick to the New England Patriots in exchange for defensive end Keion White.

Solak also notes that New England might prefer to acquire a player—such as safety Jason Pinnock—instead of draft capital.

"White has completely fallen out of favor in New England," Solak wrote. "He started last season real hot. In the first half of the year, he was 11th among all defensive linemen in pressure rate and 16th in pass rush win rate. He was especially nasty on the interior, ranking 11th in pass rush win rate when lined up as a defensive tackle. He cooled as the season went on, though -- 34th in pressure rate and 25th in pass rush win rate in the back half of the season."

At 6-foot-5 and 285 pounds, White has the size and potential to fit defensive coordinator Robert Saleh's system and could benefit from working under defensive line coach Kris Kocurek. He finished last season with five sacks, all coming within the first 10 weeks.

"White was far from a perfect player. He freelanced a lot, which made him a liability in run defense," Solak added. "And for all of his pressures, he struggled to come to balance at the quarterback. His sack rate of 1.3% was bang on league average for defensive linemen in 2024. There was a reason for his incomplete play, though. White started his college career at Old Dominion as a tight end and played only two full seasons along the defensive line. Even with his warts, the 2023 second-round pick looked like an ascending player."

White has since slipped down the Patriots' depth chart, and his Pro Football Focus pass-rush grade dropped from 76.7 in 2024 to 46.7 in 2025. His 47.1 run-defense grade could also raise concerns for a 49ers team that emphasized improving its run defense this offseason.

Still, White offers potential long-term value. He's under contract for two more seasons, aligning with the 49ers' suggested focus on acquiring players who can contribute beyond this year rather than short-term rentals.

"It has to do with what's available out there, and does it help us this year, does it help us next year," head coach Kyle Shanahan said. "Usually, as things get closer, you get a little more idea on who's real and who's not, and we'll evaluate that for the short term and long term."

Solak believes a change of scenery could rejuvenate White's career—and that San Francisco is the perfect fit.

"The 49ers feel like an obvious choice," Solak wrote. "They ask their defensive linemen to play simple, fast football in one gap -- coordinator Robert Saleh and defensive line coach Kris Kocurek have made so much hay in their respective careers resurrecting off-cast defensive linemen in their system. White would get some time at edge but could also spend plenty of rush downs at defensive tackle, where the 49ers are extremely thin."