State of the Roster: Can 49ers defensive end depth step up?

Our State of the Roster continues with a look at a 49ers defensive end group that’s full of question marks.

With 49ers OTAs in full swing, we’re taking a position-by-position look at the team’s roster to figure out the strengths, weaknesses, potential dark horses to make the team and other nuggets about the players who will be competing for jobs on the 53-man roster.

It’s impossible to say whether the 49ers have enough in their defensive end room entering training camp. Their group of DEs all come with significant question marks as defensive line coach Kris Kocurek aims to work his magic again on underutilized pass rushers still trying to find their way in the NFL.

While San Francisco doesn’t have any sure things at DE behind Nick Bosa, there’s plenty of reason for optimism. Players like Samson Ebukam, Charles Omenihu, Kerry Hyder and Arden Key have all experienced breakout success while playing on the 49ers’ defensive line. There’s a chance the club sees similar results with this year’s DE group (non-Bosa division). That’s what they’re banking on, anyway.

There could be changes coming depending on how the team feels about its DEs once training camp starts, but lets look at what the 90-man roster looks like at that spot heading into camp: