49ers add much-needed pass rush help in trade with Dallas Cowboys, per source
The San Francisco 49ers made another significant move to upgrade a key position as the new NFL league year began this week.
Two days after agreeing to terms with future Hall of Fame receiver Mike Evans, the 49ers traded for Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa on Wednesday, NFL Network first reported and a league source confirmed Wednesday to The Sacramento Bee. San Francisco is sending a third-round pick, No. 92 overall, in next month’s NFL draft to Dallas.
Odighizuwa, who turns 28 in August, represents a substantial upgrade to the interior of their defensive line after the 49ers earlier on Wednesday declined to tender 17-game starter Kalia Davis while fellow starter Jordan Elliott signed with the Tennessee Titans.
San Francisco has prioritized improving its pass rush after ranking dead last in the NFL with just 20 sacks in 2025.
Odighizuwa has appeared in all but one game, in his rookie season, after the Cowboys selected him in the third round of the 2021 draft. He has 17 career sacks and 232 pressures over his five seasons. His 52 pressures ranked sixth among all defensive tackles last season, while his pass rush win rate was 13th, according to Pro Football Focus.
Odighizuwa is a year removed from signing a four-year, $80 million extension with Dallas after reportedly declining more money to return to the team that drafted him. He’s under 49ers control for the next three seasons with cap hits of $16.3 million in 2026 and $20 million in 2027 and 2028.
The 49ers are taking a drastically different approach at defensive tackle this spring from last offseason, when the team moved on from Javon Hargrave, Maliek Collins and Javon Kinlaw to shed salary after struggling to a 6-11 finish in 2024.
San Francisco’s pass rush struggled mightily after losing former Defensive Player of the year Nick Bosa in Week 3 and first-round draft pick Mykel Williams midway through the season, both to torn ACLs. Odighizuwa will be expected to start at the “3 technique” defensive tackle spot where the 49ers were most successful in recent years with star players such as DeForest Buckner and Sacramento native Arik Armstead, who moved on to the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2024.
