Kyle Shanahan Compares New 49ers DE Bryce Huff to Dee Ford

The 49ers will have landed a home run with Bryce Huff if he is as impactful as Dee Ford in 2019.

Oct 13, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Bryce Huff (0) against the Cleveland Browns at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

The San Francisco 49ers were missing a veteran defensive lineman.

They made all of these additions on the defensive line through the NFL draft, which was necessary but didn't perfectly address the position. Relying largely on rookies is a bold plan.

However, the 49ers recently added a veteran to their defensive line. They acquired pass rusher Bryce Huff from the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for a conditional mid-round pick.

Huff had his best year in 2023 while playing for the New York Jets under Robert Saleh. The 49ers are hoping Huff can return to that form and give them a similar impact that Dee Ford gave them in 2019.

"When you talk about just getting off the ball and how fast he does it. He will be our best get off the ball guy we've had since [former DL] Dee Ford," Head coach Kyle Shanahan said after Day 1 of minicamp. "So in terms of that, it's good to beat tackles that way, but also widens tackles to help with the inside pass rush and things like that and he affects the quarterback.”

That is an astounding comparison for Shanahan to make, especially for a player who wasn't impactful in 2024. Huff was a complete shell of himself last season.

However, Shanahan acknowledges that Huff wasn't in the ideal scheme to thrive with the Eagles, along with the lack of opportunities.

"He just didn't fit as well in their scheme, and just what they do schematically and stuff. I think they wanted to go a different direction with stuff, their outside guys drop into coverage and things like that, being the three-four base and that's something we really never do. So it's a little bit different."

Huff's addition helps round out the defensive line for the 49ers. Acquiring him was an excellent decision as it potentially gives a supplemental, efficient pass rush opposite Nick Bosa.