49ers Ignore the Upgrade with Azeez Ojulari
24-year-old edge rusher Azeez Ojulari signed a one-year, four-million-dollar contract yesterday with the Philadelphia Eagles. This is a bargain for a pass rusher who produced for the New York Giants in 2024 while filling in for Kayvon Thibodeaux early in the season. This was a luxury move for Philadelphia as they added yet another defensive player from the University of Georgia. Ojulari has tallied 22 sacks in 46 games as a New York Giant. Registering six sacks in 11 games in 2024, he was on pace for a career year before an injury derailed his season. With a change of scenery, his production could spike as he will be surrounded by not only more talent but also former college teammates.
This news served as a crucial missed opportunity for the 49ers, who are attempting to retool and build a young core with the moves they have made to begin their 2025 offseason. Ojulari felt like a perfect signing for a team eyeing a player who could not only give fresh legs but also provide an immediate impact opposite of superstar defensive end Nick Bosa. Instead, he heads to a conference rival in the Eagles, who are coming off a Super Bowl LIX victory. The 49ers, since they drafted Bosa, have attempted to find his counterpart on the other side. They tried pairing him with veterans by trading for Dee Ford in 2019 and signing Leonard Floyd in 2023. They tried developing a rookie by drafting Drake Jackson in 2022. However, those moves never translated into elite production.
Defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, who rejoined the 49ers coaching staff this offseason after a failed head coaching tenure with the New York Jets, has always valued speed off the edge in his defense. As the Jets head coach, he drafted players like Jermaine Johnson II and Will McDonald in the first round and played a role in Haason Reddick’s arrival in New York. Ojulari would’ve provided similar versatility and upside. We’ll now see how they address this need in the draft after releasing Floyd.
San Francisco seems to be moving in a different direction. They have made it a focus to address their special teams, which was a true problem last season. The remainder of the team’s offseason will be intriguing as Brock Purdy’s looming contract extension awaits. They want to get younger and cheaper by letting veteran talent test free agency, however, for a team still trying to compete in the NFC, they haven’t been as aggressive as they need to be.
