An Intriguing Pass Rushing Option for the 49ers in the 2026 NFL Draft

The San Francisco 49ers are going to want to address the defensive line this offseason, and edge rusher is deep enough in the 2026 NFL draft that the team should be able to walk away from the one rusher in the first three rounds. One name that may be under consideration is Tennessee rusher Joshua Jospehs. Does he fit the 49ers, and when should they look at taking him?

How Joshua Josephs translates to the NFL

Josephs is a long and lean edge rusher who does a great job of exploding out of his stance. He has long arms and does a great job of extending them away from his body to create leverage advantages. Josephs is also a strong run defender and does a great job at keeping things inside. As a pass rusher, he has flashed a variety of moves and is a strong candidate to excel at stunts in the NFL.

Where Joshua Josephs can improve

Josephs does not have the production to match his pass-rush win rate. There are questions about his ankle flexion and ability to bend the corner as well as his ability to finish. While he plays well with his hands, he is a bit undersized for an edge-setting run defender and needs to improve his lower-body strength.

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Joshua Josephs NFL Comparison

A player who is similar in size and could be a similar NFL comparison is Will McDonald of the New York Jets. McDonald is not quite as good a run defender, but he came in with more pass-rushing upside. He also had a great NFL combine performance that locked him into the first round, where Josephs did not compete at the NFL combine.

Still, in the NFL, his run defense has improved, which has allowed him to stay on the field, and while pass rush can be up-and-down, he flashed 10 sack upside in 2024.

Josephs should come in as an undersized player who can defend the run with upside of 10 sacks if he can put everything together.

Joshua Josephs fit with the San Francisco 49ers

Josephs would be a strong complement to Nick Bosa and Mykel Williams. All three are very long in their arm length, but all three have a variety of sizes. Williams is the much bigger rusher, and it could allow them to ease Josephs onto the field for specific situations. If the 49ers allow Josephs a year or two to grow and improve his pass-rush game, he could end up being a strong partner to Williams after Bosa moves on.

Josephs is currently ranked 91st on the consensus board. The 49ers hold the 92nd pick in the 2026 NFL draft. There may not be a better pick for the 49ers at pick 92, as they can add a rotational rusher with higher upside than his draft slot.