Niners Nation
Tampa Bay Buccaneers edge rusher and former first-round pick Joe Tryon-Shoyinka is exactly what the 49ers are looking for along the defensive line, both stylistically and financially.
Every offseason, the San Francisco 49ers invest in a reclamation project for defensive line coach Kris Kocurek. Yetur Gross-Matos is our latest example.
When he was on the field, the 27-year-old to be ran hot and cold. Three of his four sacks came in one game. Plus, Gross-Matos missed nearly two months during the middle of the second quarter of the season when a veteran team relies on its youth the most.
Gross-Matos has no guaranteed money remaining on his contract, which is void in two seasons. Adding depth along the defensive line should be a priority this offseason. Robert Saleh’s defenses wore you down because after the starting line were players like Arden Key, Charles Omenihu, Jordan Willis, Ronnie Blair, etc.
Saleh attempted to replicate that success in New York by drafting edge rushers Jermaine Johnson and Will McDonald in successive drafts. The Jets also traded for Haason Reddick last offseason. The results weren’t fruitful, but you can understand Saleh’s thought process.
After Nick Bosa and Leonard Floyd, the 49ers head into the offseason with Gross-Matos and Sam Okuayinonu as their depth pieces at edge rusher. It’s unclear whether Okuayinonu physically wore down or failed to adjust once teams had film on him, but he was quiet in December.
There’s a former first-round pick who is a free agent flying under the radar. Let’s discuss Joe Tryon-Shoyinka and why he has a Samson Ebukam-type upside.
Whether we’re talking about free agency or the NFL Draft, it’s important to know the background of the athlete. Talent rises to the top. I’ll always be partial to the former 5-star recruit or first-round pick because somewhere along the way, that player or prospect showed enough traits to warrant being recruited or drafted high.
Tryon-Shoyinka is a Pacific Northwest kid. He was born in Seattle. He was a triathlete, playing high school football, basketball, and baseball. I mention this to establish that we’re dealing with a coordinated athlete who is used to going full speed in every direction.
Tryon-Shoyinka was a 3-star high school recruit with offers from Oregon and Boise State and was initially committed to Washington State before committing to the University of Washington.
Tryon-Shoyinka was the 32nd overall pick in 2021. He was No. 39 on consensus big boards ahead of the 2021 NFL Draft. In our final Mock Draft that year, I took Justin Fields at No. 3, Tryon at No. 43, and traded up in the third round for Trey Smith:
This might be the dream scenario for the 49ers as Tryon looks like he’s ready to play right away. Tryon didn’t suit up during the 2020 regular season, but his 2019 tape looks like a borderline first-rounder.
Washington versus Utah in 2019 is Tryon running around offensive tackles all game. He was...
