Niners Nation
The 49ers didn’t make a major move at the deadline this year.
The San Francisco 49ers weren’t very active at the trade deadline, making just one trade as they sent a 2026 seventh-round pick to the Houston Texans for defensive lineman Khalil Davis.
Davis, 28, is on a one-year deal with a minimum salary, and had been coming along more over the past three games, being used primary as an interior pass rusher with the Texans.
Heading into the deadline, it was clear the 49ers had a focus on improving their defensive line, but it was unclear to what extent they would look to make a move.
Ultimately, during one of the quieter trade deadlines in recent memory, the 49ers settled for just one move, bolstering their defensive tackle depth for the second half of the season.
In addition, the 49ers did re-sign safety Tashaun Gipson to the practice squad, marking their second veteran addition in recent weeks, as they also signed Adrian Amos as depth a few weeks ago.
With the two moves ahead of Week 10, what are San Francisco’s biggest weaknesses post-trade deadline?
When looking at the roster top-to-bottom, the second defensive end spot had to come to mind.
It seemed like San Francisco would explore options at both the interior and the edge for their defensive line, but they didn’t end up making a move for the latter, leaving them with their thinner group for the second half of the season.
Now, the 49ers should return Yetur Gross-Matos to the fold, giving them another option alongside Nick Bosa, Leonard Floyd, Robert Beal, and Sam Okuayinonu.
But, the group outside of Bosa hadn’t been ultra-productive prior to the trade deadline, and they didn’t get any better after the deadline. With how the roster currently is, that spot will be one to look at over the second half of the season.
In addition, the safety spot was clearly an area that San Francisco wanted more of a veteran presence.
With Talanoa Hufanga’s return in question, it’s notable that San Francisco has now signed two veteran safeties amid their younger players struggling with missed tackles and inconsistent play at times. Gipson especially has familiarity with the defense and has been a player that the 49ers have relied upon to man the backend in the past.
Even with the addition of Khalil Davis, the interior defensive line is still a bit of a question mark with the team’s top end talent and quality depth.
The run defense had been a problem at times and landing Davis doesn’t really solve those problems. Of course, getting players back to full strength will be key there, but it’ll be curious to see how opposing offenses attack the 49ers’ front coming out of the bye week.
Nonetheless, even with the injuries and sub-optimal record to begin the year, this 49ers roster is still one of the more talented groups in the NFL, and they should be getting reinforcements at several positions sooner than later.
