The San Francisco 49ers have a massive void in the middle of their defense after the season-ending injury to Fred Warner.
Warner suffered a dislocated and broken ankle in the Week 6 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and is now going to be out for the rest of the season. It's a brutal blow, as the Niners won't be able to replace the elite level of football Warner plays.
But general manager John Lynch should at least make a move to help his defense out with the Niners sitting at 5-2 and looking like playoff contenders.
One name to keep an eye on is Houston Texans linebacker Christian Harris, who ESPN's Jeremy Fowler believes could be a target for San Francisco.
The 49ers' need for a linebacker, along with the franchise's connection to former defensive coordinator and Texans head coach, DeMeco Ryans, could help the squads facilitate a trade.
Harris is a once-productive starter relegated to a reserve role in Houston's defense, due in part to injuries. But he is healthy now and still 24 years old. Texans coach DeMeco Ryans is a disciple of the 49ers coaching staff, and San Francisco might need linebacker help after Fred Warner's season-ending injury. And Texans general manager Nick Caserio is among the most aggressive dealmakers in the league.
A former third-round pick of the Texans in 2022, Harris was a starter in Houston for the first three seasons of his career, but injuries have derailed him and now he's serving as a backup and is playing just 11% of the snaps in 2025.
Over his first two years in the NFL, Harris proved to be an impact player after posting 175 tackles, three sacks, 12 passes defensed, one interception and two forced fumbles in that span.
The concern with Harris is that he hasn't shown to be a good run defender over the course of his career, and his coverage skills are inconsistent, at best. Not exactly ideal, but maybe defensive coordinator Robert Saleh can get more out of him.
Given his non-existent role in Houston's offense, Harris wouldn't cost more than a late Day 3 pick swap, so not a ton of risk involved in acquiring him, and he's a free agent in 2026, so there's no long-term commitment here, either.
We'd like to see the Niners aim higher, but adding Harris would be better than nothing.
More NFL News