The San Francisco 49ers have plenty of stars on the team. From Christian McCaffery, to George Kittle, to Fred Warner, there are plenty of key players to keep an eye on.
However, when you're a model of consistency like the 49ers, with several stars, it makes some other players go under the radar. This offseason, the most talked about moves the 49ers made were the signing of wide receiver Mike Evans and the reunion with linebacker Dre Greenlaw.
However, a trade the 49ers pulled off before the 2026 NFL Draft could end up paying the biggest dividends in 2026.
Osa Odighizuwa Among Best Interior Defensive Linemen in League
This offseason, the 49ers traded a 2026 third-round pick to the Dallas Cowboys for defensive lineman Osa Odighizuwa. Odighizuwa filled a big need as the 49ers lost both Jordan Elliott and Kalia Davis in free agency.
Athlon Sports' Doug Farrar recently identified the seven best interior defensive linemen in the league, and Odighizuwa made the cut. Farrar has the new 49er at No. 6, in between Kobie Turner and Nnamdi Madubuike.
"The most unheralded player on this list in terms of production and consistency versus name recognition, Odighizuwa had 112 pressures and 76 run stops with the Dallas Cowboys over the last two seasons, which had the San Francisco 49ers trading a 2026 third-round draft pick for him in March," Farrar explained.
As Farrar mentioned, Odighizuwa has been among the most productive interior defenders, but he doesn't have nearly the name recognition of the others on the list. Perhaps playing in San Francisco will allow the defender to finally become a household name.
In 2025, Odighizuwa played in all 17 games and collected 44 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and six tackles for loss. Pro Football Focus gave the defender a 65.9 overall grade, and he finished 6th out of 225 defensive linemen in overall pressures.
"Last season, Odighizuwa lined up as a nose tackle on 2% of his snaps, 22% outside, and the rest of the time making the lives of offensive guards utterly miserable," Farrar continued.
This versatility adds to Odighizuwa's intrigue. The 49ers will likely deploy him as a 3-4 defensive end, but he's capable of playing on the edge or at the nose. Combined with C.J. West and Alfed Collins, the 49ers could have one of the game's most underrated defensive fronts in 2026.
