For the fourth time in 5 seasons, the San Francisco 49ers made a midseason commerce within the hopes of bolstering their squad.
This most up-to-date transfer brings promising younger defensive lineman Charles Omenihu over from the Houston Texans in trade for a future late-round draft choose. The 24-year-old’s stats may not be eye-popping, however the Niners aren’t simply betting on his potential — they’re additionally betting on his skill to play nicely with others.
David Lombardi of The Athletic famous that Omenihu led the Texans final season in quarterback hits with 13, even beating out veteran J.J. Watt, who had 11. Much more spectacular is that he reached that quantity in 223 fewer pass-rushing snaps than Watt.
In equity, defensive lineman numbers often get inflated after they play alongside stars who require double-teams almost each play. Take, for instance, Dante Fowler Jr., who performed alongside Aaron Donald in 2019 on the Los Angeles Rams and exploded for 11.5 sacks. The season earlier than that, he recorded 4 sacks, and he had simply three the next season.
Whereas Nick Bosa and Dee Ford aren’t at Donald’s stage, they’re nonetheless mega-talented and will permit Omenihu to actually prosper on a top-five defensive position within the league, per Soccer Outsiders.
It’s been a season filled with bumps within the street for the Niners, and this commerce received’t instantly clear up the entire group’s issues — nevertheless it’s actually a useful increase for an injury-prone roster, if nothing else.
