49ers had in-person meeting with versatile late-round DL prospect

The San Francisco 49ers may be on the hunt for pass rush help deep into the 2026 NFL draft. In an interview with Sports Illustrated's Justin Melo, NFL draft prospect Darryl Peterson said the 49ers were one of a handful of teams he met with prior to his Pro Day at the University of Wisconsin. Peterson is an interesting defensive line prospect who had a breakout year in 2025 during his fifth college season.

He hung up 6. 5 sacks and 11. 5 tackles for loss to mark career-bests in both categories.

In four seasons prior to that he had 7. 5 sacks and 13 tackles for loss in 41 games. That limited production across his first four years helps explain why Peterson wasn't invited to this year's combine despite his strong final season.

For the 49ers, his versatility at 6-1, 247 pounds is probably intriguing. He spent time in 2025 as both an edge rusher and as an interior pass rusher. There's also a chance they could view him as an off-ball LB with upside as a pass rusher.