Could key Falcons free agent follow Raheem Morris to the 49ers?

At some point this week, Raheem Morris will officially be announced as the 49ers’ defensive coordinator. After accepting the opportunity to once again work with old friend Kyle Shanahan, Morris will be tasked with elevating a young defense that still has plenty of issues back towards the top of the NFL.

Despite plenty of flashes from several of their rookies following a draft that focused heavily on that side of the ball, a defense that was beset by injuries finished 24th in EPA per play and 30th in success rate.

San Francisco will obviously hope for better injury luck in 2026 but, beyond that, the 49ers will need to address their defensive problems with smart additions this offseason.

A primary concern for the 49ers remains the defensive line.

San Francisco saw signs of promise from Alfred Collins and CJ West on the inside and, on run defense, from Mykel Williams on the edge.

But the reality was that, after Nick Bosa went down with his season-ending ACL injury, the 49er pass rush was a non-entity. Only the New York Jets and Carolina Panthers had a worse pressure rate than the 49ers’ 16.7%, per Pro Football Reference. Their 20 sacks were the least in the league.

The run defense, meanwhile, suffered badly after Williams sustained a torn ACL that ended his rookie campaign.

And, with the likes of Yetur Gross-Matos, Jordan Elliott, Kevin Givens and Clelin Ferrell all set for unrestricted free agency, the 49ers will likely emphasize bolstering their rotation on the defensive front.

Arnold Ebiketie makes sense as 49ers’ free agent target

The Falcons have a host of defensive players set to hit the open market at the start of the new league year, and one player Morris might be keen to take with him to the 49ers following the end of his time as head coach in Atlanta is edge rusher Arnold Ebiketie.

Ebiketie did not visit with the 49ers before the 2022 draft, but he fits the mold of what they look for athletically from the defensive linemen.

Indeed, Ebiketie is a long-armed defender who demonstrated significant explosiveness coming out of Penn State. During the pre-draft process, Ebiketie produced a 91st-percentile vertical jump and a 96th-percentile broad jump.

Those atheltic traits have translated to the next level. Ebiketie recorded successive seasons with six sacks in 2023 and 2024 and, while he only had 2.5 in 2025, he recorded a pass rush win rate of 16.8%, per Pro Football Focus. That number put him tied for 14th among edge defenders with at least 100 pass rush snaps.

Ebiketie’s film is that of a rusher who can win consistently with explosiveness and power, but who also has the flexibility to turn the corner when he gets to the top of his rush.

While not known as a dominant run defender, Ebiketie only had one missed tackle in the run game in 2025. After the 49ers’ struggles stopping the run minus Bosa and Williams, there’s reason for optimism Ebiketie could be an asset who can allow Bosa and Williams some rest on base downs.

Yet Ebiketie would primarily be a signing to bolster a pass rush that was too often ineffective without its cornerstone.

That area of the team needs greater strength in depth behind Bosa and Bryce Huff. Ebiketie would give them that and, after an underwhelming season in terms of sack production, potentially at an affordable price.

Operating primarily in a rotational pass-rushing role, Ebiketie could thrive. A speedy reunion with Morris would make sense for the player, the coach and the defense as it looks to get substantially better rushing the passer.