(Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
A trade! A real-life trade! It’s not the most exciting of trades, but it is real and it will bring the 49ers an edge rusher, the one position the team is absolutely desperate for help with. That said, temper your expectations.
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, San Francisco’s new acquisition is Jordan Willis, an edge rusher who played in a 3-4 scheme with the New York Jets and was a third-round pick by the Cincinnati Bengals in 2017. The 49ers traded a 2022 sixth-round pick and received Willis, as well as a 2021 seventh-round pick.
Compensation update: The #49ers traded a sixth-round pick in 2022 to the #Jets for Jordan Willis and a seventh-round pick in 2021, per source. https://t.co/oitdre1zRX
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) October 21, 2020
The 73rd overall pick in 2017 hails from Kansas State, where he had 11.5 sacks and 17.5 tackles for a loss in his senior year in 2016.
Willis, who is listed at 6’4″ and 275 pounds, jumped off the charts at the NFL Combine with his athletic ability, but with pretty average to below-average size for his position. He ran a 4.53-second 20-yard dash, displayed a 39-inch vertical and 125-inch broad jump, all in the 93rd percentile or higher for his position.
Willis has played just 11 percent of snaps for the 0-6 Jets, and has not registered a single pressure, according to Pro Football Reference. Due to COVID-19 protocols, he will not be able to join the team this week. He will be able to join them next week if he passes protocols.