Are the 49ers Looking to Draft the Next Dee Ford in Round 1?

We already should know what kind of defensive end the 49ers want to pair with Nick Bosa.

Six years ago, just before the 49ers drafted Bosa with the second pick in the 2019 draft, they traded a second-rounder to the Kansas City Chiefs for Dee Ford and then gave him a five-year, $87.5 million extension. The 49ers really really liked him.

Unfortunately for the 49ers, Ford was injured virtually the entire time he was on the team -- he appeared in merely 18 games in three seasons before retiring. But when he was on the field, the 49ers had the best pass rush in the NFL, and his role was extremely important.

In his prime, Ford had the quickest first step of any edge rusher in the NFL. So the 49ers aligned him outside the opponent's tight end and gave him a straight line to rush the quarterback.

Ford usually was the first defensive lineman in the backfield for the 49ers. Even if he didn't sack the quarterback, Ford made him move in the pocket and hold the ball a beat longer than he'd like to which gave Nick Bosa enough time to sack him. That's the 49ers' formula for pass-rush success.

Expect them to replicate that formula this offseason. Saleh is back as the defensive coordinator and the 49ers need to revamp their defensive line. If they traded a second-round pick for an older Dee Ford once upon a time, why wouldn't they spend a first-round pick on a young version of Dee Ford now?

Expect the 49ers to draft either Mike Green, James Pearce Jr. or Jalon Walker with the 11th pick. All three are speed rushers who could fill the Dee Ford role in Saleh's defense.