49ers Sign Kerry Hyder to 1-Year Deal

The 49ers have an extremely long list of defensive ends on their roster, including Hyder, Willis, Nick Bosa, Samson Ebukam, Charles Omenihu and Dee Ford.

The 49ers just added more depth to their defensive line.

They signed defensive Kerry Hyder to a one-year deal worth $1.5 million. This comes a day after the 49ers re-signed backed defensive end Jordan Willis.

Hyder, who turns 31 in May, played for the 49ers in 2020 and recorded an impressive 8.5 sacks. Then in 2021, the Seahawks gave him a three-year, $16.5 million contract to be a starting defensive end, but he flopped and recorded just 1.5 sacks in 15 games, so the Seahawks cut him this offseason and now he's back.

The 49ers have an extremely long list of defensive ends on their roster, including Hyder, Willis, Nick Bosa, Samson Ebukam, Charles Omenihu and Dee Ford, who technically still is a player on the roster even though he almost never plays. Which means the 49ers probably won't spend their top draft pick this year -- No. 61 -- on an edge rusher, even though some good ones will be available and the 49ers certainly could use a premium talent opposite Bosa. But that's a luxury in which the 49ers won't invest as long as Ford is still here.

So expect the 49ers to spend their second round pick on an interior offensive lineman, because that's their biggest weakness. They currently have a bunch of sub-par guards and a 36-year-old center who still hasn't committed to playing this year.

The 49ers most likely will draft the best center/guard available. Too bad they didn't do that last year, when they could have had Chiefs center Creed Humphrey, but instead took reserve guard Aaron Banks.

Now the 49ers have to try again to fill the same need. But at least they got more depth on their defensive line today.