Wild trade idea lands 49ers stud young pass rusher in deal Giants
· Yahoo Sports
The San Francisco 49ers still need edge rusher help. Nick Bosa and Mykell Williams are recovering from ACL injuries, and the one pass rushers left are Keion White, who is recovering from a gunshot wound, Sam Okuayinonu, and 2026 third-round rookie Romello Height.
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Bleacher Report analyst Kristopher Knox thinks a wild three-team trade could fix that issue before the 2026 season.
In a hypothetical scenario floated by Knox, the 49ers land New York Giants edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux by looping in the Baltimore Ravens. The trade breaks down like this: San Francisco sends a 2027 second-round pick to Baltimore, the Ravens flip cornerback Marlon Humphrey and a 2027 fourth-round pick to New York, and the Giants ship Thibodeaux to San Francisco and receiver Isaiah Hodgins to Baltimore.
The logic on New York's end is straightforward. The Giants drafted Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese fifth overall in April, which touched off months of trade speculation around Thibodeaux. According to The Athletic's Dan Duggan, the Giants did engage in talks with the New Orleans Saints, who balked at the asking price of a second-round pick.
The Ravens angle works because Baltimore is rebuilding under new head coach Jesse Minter and can use the draft capital. Humphrey, who turns 30 next month and is in the final year of his contract, would reunite with former Ravens head coach John Harbaugh in New York and fill a legitimate need at corner.
For the 49ers, the appeal is obvious. Thibodeaux is just 25 years old and racked up 17 sacks across the 2023 and 2024 seasons combined before a shoulder injury limited him to 10 games and 2.5 sacks in 2025. He's healthy heading into the new year and would slot in as a dangerous complement to Bosa on the other side of the line — assuming Bosa is ready for Week 1.
San Francisco's win window is tied directly to the health and availability of its aging core. A second-round pick is real capital to surrender, but adding a proven young pass rusher before that window closes is exactly the kind of aggressive move this team should be exploring.
This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: NFL trade: 49ers get Giants edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux in mock deal