An area on defense the San Francisco 49ers needed to address entering free agency in Mar. was the edge rusher position.
Nick Bosa desperately needed help from his teammates to generate an effective pass rush. He didn't have a strong supporting cast even with the midseason additions of Chase Young and Randy Gregory. The 49ers had to sign an impactful pass rusher, which led them to sign Leonard Floyd.
Floyd was coming off a 10-sack season with the Buffalo Bills and has been a consistently impactful pass rusher throughout his career. The 49ers signed Floyd to a two-year $20 million worth up to $24 million with $12 million guaranteed. It seemed like a fair deal at the time if he could replicate what he did in Buffalo. Sure enough, Floyd the "energizer bunny" is proving the 49ers right for signing him.
"Leonard's just an energizer bunny," said Kyle Shanahan. "He's one of our hardest workers every single day. He set the tone in practice last week coming in on that Wednesday to our Thursday practice, our last full day in pads. You would've thought he was the one demanding that we go in full pads with the way he goes about everything. He loves football, plays so hard, and usually when you're like that, eventually the numbers come."
He's been fantastic for the 49ers this season by fulfilling his role perfectly. Floyd has tallied 8.5 sacks so far, the most of any 49ers defender. He's even been stepping up lately with Bosa out. Floyd has generated 15 pressures (tied-13th most) and recorded 5.5 sacks (most) since Bosa went down with an injury in Week 11, per Next Gen Stats.
Floyd’s 19.2 percent pressure rate over that span is the eighth-highest in the NFL (min. 50 pass rushes) and 5.2 percent higher than his pressure rate through the first 10 weeks. It's safe to say the 49ers are getting their money's worth with Floyd and arguably more.
Now, Floyd isn't some crazy game wrecker but he gives the 49ers what they've been needing and that's a secondary impactful edge rusher. Before Bosa went out, he would have a few impactful moments, which benefitted the defense. It was more than the 49ers would get usually last season from any other pass edge rusher.
With Bosa out, he's somehow elevated his game and is feasting on the opportunities. He's relishing the moment to be the lead monster for the 49ers on the defensive line. Floyd is playing with a ton of momentum which will only strengthen the 49ers if Bosa comes back soon.
The 49ers will need Floyd to continue his strong stretch of performance in a must-win game against his former team the Los Angeles Rams