The San Francisco 49ers have drawn some strong praise for their offseason approach—depending on whom you ask—highlighted by more aggressive-than-usual moves in free agency and the trade market. One analyst particularly impressed is Mina Kimes.

"I love what the Niners did," Kimes said on her podcast, The Mina Kimes Show. "I love the trade for [DT] Osa Odighizuwa. They've been looking for that pass-rushing 3-tech for a minute. People forget how dominant [DT DeForest] Buckner was with the Niners in 2019. Oh my God."



Kimes added that she's eager to see Odighizuwa paired with Nick Bosa along the defensive front, noting that Odighizuwa's strength lies more as a pass rusher than a run defender.

Odighizuwa has recorded 112 total pressures over the past two seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, earning a 71.5 pass-rush grade from Pro Football Focus. His run-defense grade (58.9) highlights an area for improvement, as he has topped that mark only once in his career (65.1 in 2023).

"He's not a plus run defender," Kimes noted. "He has consistently been one of the better pass-rushing defensive tackles in football. In fact, over the last three years, he is sixth in ESPN's pass-rush win. So you already have guys coming back, you've added him up front."

While parting with a third-round pick to acquire Odighizuwa potentially carries a long-term cost, it's a calculated move for a contender. Despite significant injuries, San Francisco finished 12–5 last season and reached the playoffs.

"Here's the thing about signing veteran players who are proven—your [WR Mike] Evans, your Osa, even bringing in a guy like [WR Christian] Kirk to give you reps from the slot," Kimes explained. "If the Dolphins are doing this, or a bad team, it would be stupid. But if you're a team like San Francisco, that went as far as you did despite missing half of the entire God d--n football team, the timeline makes sense.


"They actually probably had my favorite free agency of any team, and I think the idea of all these guys coming back, joined by these players, is terrifying."

That final word—"terrifying"—stands out, especially considering Kimes is a fan of the Seattle Seahawks, a division rival of the 49ers.

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