While all eyes have turned to what the San Francisco 49ers will do in the wake of Fred Warner's devastating injury, replacing another injured star, Nick Bosa, remains at the top of the Niners' trade deadline to-do list.
After all, replacing Warner is a near-impossible task, but improving a pass rush that ranks 30th in sacks with seven, and 24th in PFF pass rush grade at 66.1 would go a long way towards making whoever fills his shoes life that much easier.
Even better if the edge defender replacing Bosa is a dual-threat who is equally capable against the run, which is an underrated part of Bosa's game that San Francisco is missing. It would be picture-perfect if such a player also had a connection to Robert Saleh and came with experience playing in his defense.
According to New York Jets insider Connor Hughes, such a player might just be hitting the market.
An edge rusher who fits 49ers defense like a glove might just be hitting the trade block
Edge rusher Jermaine Johnson checks all of those boxes. The 2022 first-round pick out of Florida State played under Saleh in New York, earning a Pro Bowl nod in 2023 for his standout two-way performance.
That season, Johnson notched 7.5 sacks, posted a 32-percent run-stop win rate, which ranked sixth among edge rushers (Bosa was 10th at 29 percent), and recorded a PFF run-defense grade of 71.0 for a truly well-rounded showing.
Johnson, age 26, was limited to just two games last season due to a torn Achilles. He's also missed time this year, but Week 6 saw him return to the field, notching a sack in the process.
A technically sound rusher with a powerful bull rush, Johnson has some stiffness in his ankles that prevents him from having elite bend around the edge. Still, he's very athletic and has a play beating Josh Allen of all people to the edge and bringing him down with a sack in space on his highlight reel.
Johnson played with Bryce Huff, and his power-first style combines nicely with Huff's speed-rush attack, creating a formidable interplay that makes each player better than they'd be on their own.
The Jets picked up Johnson's fifth-year option this past spring, meaning acquiring him doesn't only mean getting help for 2025, but also strengthening the unit as a whole when Bosa returns in 2026.
Hughes' report indicates that it would take "a lot" to pry Johnson from New York's clutches, but as John Lynch has never been shy to pony up for impact talent, Johnson could be on his radar. And he should, the fit is simply too perfect to pass up.