49ers Re-Sign Jordan Willis

The second wave of free agency is underway.

After making a flurry of blockbuster moves last week, the 49ers have made a few modest moves the past couple days. On Tuesday, the 49ers announced they re-signed defensive end Jordan Willis.

Willis is only 25. He was the Bengals' third-round draft pick in 2017 -- they took him that high because he's a terrific athlete who performed extremely well at the NFL Scouting Combine.

But Willis was a major disappointment for the Bengals, as he recorded only 2 sacks during his first two seasons. So they released him in 2019.

The Jets immediately claimed Willis off waivers, but he disappointed them, too, apparently. So on Oct. 27, 2020, they traded him to the 49ers for a sixth-round pick in 2022.

And Willis did not disappoint the 49ers. In fact, he pleasantly surprised them with his explosive, violent play. He appeared in seven games, played 183 snaps and recorded 2.5 sacks. Which means he recorded more sacks than the 49ers' first-round pick, Javon Kinlaw, who finished his rookie season with 1.5 sacks.

Willis clearly benefited from the 49ers' terrific defensive line coach Kris Kocurek, who specializes at improving underperforming defensive linemen. Kocurek helps them improve their "get off," meaning he makes them react to the snap quicker. And that leads to better play.

As long as the 49ers have Kocurek, they don't need to spend first-round picks on defensive linemen. Because he can turn talented busts such as Willis into valuable contributors almost overnight.