Third-round draft pick Romello Height addresses 49ers’ most glaring weakness originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
The 49ers addressed their most glaring weakness on Day 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft.
San Francisco on Friday selected edge rusher Romello Height of Texas Tech in the third round with the No. 70 overall pick.
Height visited the 49ers’ facility to meet with coaches and executives during the pre-draft process.
Height, 25, had a six-year college career, which he capped with a 9.5-sack season. He previously played at Auburn, USC and Georgia Tech.
Height (6-foot-3, 239 pounds) ran a time of 4.64 seconds in the 40-yard dash, and had a vertical leap of 39 inches.
He figures to be used almost exclusively as a nickel pass-rusher — an area of the 49ers that was in desperate need.
The 49ers’ defense ranked 20th in the NFL in total yards allowed and 25th in passing defense.
The worst part of the 49ers’ defense was their pass rush. They finished the season with a league-low 20 sacks in 17 games.
The 49ers had to address their pass rush to make life more difficult on quarterbacks, so they are unable to sit in the pocket and pick apart their secondary.
“You want them to have to perform under duress,” 49ers general manager John Lynch said this week. “It’s the great equalizer in today’s football. So much set up for the offense to have success.
“Can you put that quarterback under duress? Can you hit that quarterback? Can you pressure that quarterback? We fell short of that last year.”
The addition of Height gives the 49ers a much-needed injection to the outside pass rush.
The 49ers expect defensive end Nick Bosa to be ready for the start of the regular season after his season came to an end in September with a torn ACL in his right knee. From 2021 through 2024, Bosa registered sack totals of 15.5, 18.5, 10.5 and nine.
Bosa is the 49ers’ only proven pass-rusher.
Clelin Ferrell and Bryce Huff shared the 49ers’ lead in sacks at four apiece last season. Ferrell remains unsigned as a free agent. The 49ers released Bryce Huff on the same day he announced his retirement.
The 49ers retained defensive end Sam Okuayinonu on a one-year contract. Okuayinonu registered just three sacks in 15 games last season. Keion White is back after getting 1.5 sacks in nine games.
A year ago, the 49ers selected defensive end Mykel Williams with the No. 11 overall selection. But Williams’ strength is his ability to set the edge in the run game and move inside to rush the passer in nickel situations.
He had one sack in nine games before he sustained a season-ending ACL injury, too. Williams might not be ready at the start of the season. But even when he is ready, the 49ers do not expect big sack numbers. In three seasons at Georgia, Williams picked up 4.5, 4.5 and five sacks.
It is obvious the 49ers needed to put more pressure on the quarterback to generate takeaways from strip-sacks, as well as poorly thrown or deflected passes.
And, now, the 49ers are counting on Height to provide a much-needed upgrade in that area.
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