Nick Bosa Confirmed what 49ers Fans Hope to See from Romello Height
The San Francisco 49ers have high hopes for Romello Height down the line, but for year one, they want to keep things simple for him. They want him to be a designated pass rusher. That is why it is important to hear Nick Bosa say that he is explosive and polished when seeing him for the first time at OTAs.
Romello Height impresses the San Francisco 49ers teammates at OTAs
Height fell to the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft mostly because he is a bit older and a bit undersized. Teams thought that he might be maxed out, and he, at his maximum, was still not quite overpowering. However, Bosa is seeing similar attributes, but spinning them in a positive light.
Height is polished because he is older, and the 49ers need him to be. They expect him to get on the field in year one because they do not have a rusher like him. Cam Sample and Keion White are around to be depth behind Mykel Williams as they all play similar roles.
Nick Bosa and Sam Okuayinonu are more hand-down rushers and are better against the run. Height is their only speed, a stand-up rusher who could fill the production they will be losing with Bryce Huff's retirement.
So, they needed him to get on the field as a rookie, and so far, his polish is proving to Bosa that this can happen. More than that, while he is undersized, the 49ers are not going to ask him to defend the run much.
As Huff was asked to defend the run more in 2025, he started to lose his pass-rush juice. The 49ers' room has so many run defenders that they should hardly be asking Height to see the field on those snaps. They need him to be explosive.
It would make sense that Height is the most explosive edge rusher in the room when you consider the injuries to Bosa, and the fact that every other rusher has close to 20 pounds or more on Height. Still, they drafted him to be fast and get after the quarterback, and so far, he is doing that.
If all that Height shows in year one is polish to play early and explosive to be a different speed of pass rusher, the 49ers are going to say that the pick was worth it. So far, they must be happy.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/49ers/onsi as Nick Bosa Confirmed what 49ers Fans Hope to See from Romello Height.
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This story was originally published June 1, 2026 at 1:00 PM.