The San Francisco 49ers finally landed a pass rusher in the 2026 NFL draft when they selected Texas Tech defensive end Romello Height with the No. 70 overall pick.
After trading back twice in Round 1 and another time in Round 2, the 49ers finally settled on a player with the sixth pick in the third round.
Height checks a huge box for the 49ers in their pass rush. They needed more depth behind Nick Bosa and Mykel Williams as they return from ACL injuries. After passing on a slew of DE prospects earlier in the draft, San Francisco landed on a pure pass rusher.
The measurables for Height are, ironically, not stellar. He measured in at 6-2, 239 pounds with 32 1/4-inch arms.
His athleticism off the line sticks out though, and it’s easy to see where he slots in immediately as a passing down specialist on Day 1. It took him awhile to find his footing in college football. In his first three seasons he played just 12 games with Auburn and USC. He didn’t notch a sack.
However, in Year 4 he put up 4.0 sacks for the Trojans. The following year he transferred to Georgia Tech where he put up 2.5 sacks. Then he transferred to Texas Tech and had his best season with 9.5 sacks and a career-best 11 tackles for loss.
Height should contend for a top job in sub packages right away.
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This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: 49ers finally make another pick, address biggest need in 3rd round
Reporting by Kyle Madson, Niners Wire / Niners Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
