The San Francisco 49ers need help at the edge rusher position, and defensive line coach Jeff Zgonina is getting plenty of work in trying to find an answer. Zgonina worked out Florida State defensive end Josh Sweat last week, and on Thursday, he attended the workout of UT-San Antonio defensive end Marcus Davenport. In fact, he helped put Davenport through drills, according to Matt Barrows.
The 49ers have had at least an area scout on hand for every Pro Day in the country, according to general manager John Lynch. The UTSA Pro Day drew even more interest, with an area scout, Zgonina, and a national scout on hand, according to Barrows. It does not guarantee the 49ers will spend the No. 9 pick on Davenport, but it seems a strong bet they’re highly interested in further analyzing him.
Davenport measured in at the Combine at 6’5 and a half, 264 pounds, with 33 5/8” arms. He played as a stand-up rusher, but has put on the pounds to be a hand-in-the-ground edge guy in the NFL. He is still limited in overall experience, but has shown serious potential. This past season, he had 8.5 sacks and 17.5 tackles for a loss, to go along with four pass deflections.
Edge rusher is a huge position of need for the 49ers. They tried converting Arik Armstead to the role last year, and added Jerry Attaochu this offseason. They’ve got some options, but the No. 9 pick stands out as a strong opportunity to bolster the unit.