The San Francisco 49ers weren't exactly deep on the defensive line before Javon Hargrave tore his tricep.
Now, with the Pro Bowl defensive tackle out for the season, the 49ers' situation in an area of the team that had previously traditionally been a strength is looking very bleak.
Defensive end Nick Bosa is continuing to suffer from a lack of pass rush support from the opposite edge rusher spot despite the addition of veteran Leonard Floyd, and the premature end to Hargrave's campaign leaves the 49ers extremely short on the interior.
Starting defensive tackle Maliek Collins has played well next to Hargrave, but the only players behind him on the active roster are Jordan Elliott and Kevin Givens, neither of whom has caught the eye to this point.
Elliott will likely move into a starting role for the Week 4 clash with the New England Patriots, but the 49ers will obviously now need to add depth at the position.
The Niners are hopeful they will be able to get Kalia Davis back in the not too distant future. Davis underwent knee surgery following a strong performance in the preseason opener against the Tennessee Titans.
With Davis' return not imminent, the injury to Hargrave may eventually see the Niners make a move to bring in a player via trade or a free agent signing, with a reunion with former defensive tackle D.J. Jones in a potential trade with the Denver Broncos a possible solution that would be a very popular decision.
But in the immediate future, the response from the 49ers will likely be to make easy in-house moves by signing players to the active roster from the practice squad.
With Hargrave almost certainly set for injured reserve, the 49ers are poised to have two free spots on the active roster, though they figure to eventually be filled by Christian McCaffrey, if he is able to return from Achilles tendinitis after Week 5, and wide receiver Ricky Pearsall. Pearsall will be eligible to come off the non-football injury list after Week 4.
In the meantime, though, the defensive line problem can be addressed by turning to two hidden gems, one of whom has already proven he is worthy of a spot on the 53.
Defensive end Sam Okuayinonu has vindicated his place on the initial 53 and then the practice squad by impressing in the season opener against the New York Jets and in Sunday's heartbreaking defeat to the Los Angeles Rams. He had a pair of run stops in Week 1 and flashed an ability to push the pocket from the edge against the Rams, his efforts in that regard rewarded with a sack.
With head coach Kyle Shanahan in his Monday conference call indicating defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos will be used as an interior pass rusher on clear passing downs to account for the loss of Hargrave, it makes sense to sign Okuayinonu to serve as a permanent part of the edge rotation and facilitate Gross-Matos moving inside. Okuayinonu can only be elevated from the practice squad once more this season, and his own ability to kick inside makes him a very useful player to keep around for the remainder of the year.
But what about replacing Hargrave with another defensive tackle? Conventional wisdom suggests that veteran T.Y. McGill is the most likely candidate to be signed to the active roster to fill the void.
The major problem there is that McGill did not impress when elevated amid injuries to Hargrave and Arik Armstead last season and is coming off an underwhelming preseason.
San Francisco's biggest problem on the interior has concerned run defense. McGill, who played 39 percent of the defensive snaps when the 49ers gave up 234 yards on the ground to the Arizona Cardinals in Week 15 last season, will not improve things in that regard.
The 49ers should instead give a shot to a rookie who has regularly earned comparisons to Jones since they signed him as an undrafted free agent.
Evan Anderson is a 326-pound space eater whose frame allows him to withstand double teams and eat up space, a skill set the 49ers could desperately use as they continue to struggle to stop the run, with duo runs proving particularly difficult for them to defend in the loss to the Rams.
Anderson also displayed some ability to push the pocket in preseason, registering three pressures in the exhibition finale with the Las Vegas Raiders, per Pro Football Focus.
Rather than immediately signing him to the roster, the 49ers would be wise to elevate Anderson for a game with a Patriots team that is likely to focus on the ground game in their efforts to pull off the road upset.
The 49ers can use the game to get a look at Anderson in limited snaps to give them an idea of whether he can be a long-term solution in an area that is now a clear weakness.
Shanahan has been happy to give playing time to several members of the 49ers' draft class this season. In the wake of the disappointing Hargrave news, the best approach would be to hand a debut to another rookie while rewarding Okuayinonu for his encouraging start to the season.
