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San Francisco 49ers: Kevin Givens a potential UDFA gem on defensive line

By Nicholas McGee

STATE COLLEGE, PA - NOVEMBER 11: Kevin Givens #30 of the Penn State Nittany Lions looks to tackle Giovanni Rescigno #17 of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Beaver Stadium on November 11, 2017 in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
STATE COLLEGE, PA - NOVEMBER 11: Kevin Givens #30 of the Penn State Nittany Lions looks to tackle Giovanni Rescigno #17 of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Beaver Stadium on November 11, 2017 in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) /
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Kevin Givens has impressed in the preseason, and the undrafted free agent could earn his place in a deep 49ers defensive line rotation.

The San Francisco 49ers have invested very heavily in their defensive line but may have unearthed a gem in the form of an undrafted free agent.

San Francisco signed Kevin Givens from Penn State after the draft, and he made a significant impact in the Niners’ second preseason game against the Denver Broncos.

The box score only shows one tackle for the former Nittany Lion, but that is not reflective of his excellent performance. Having started on the interior of the defensive line, Givens was a disruptive force throughout.

Givens earned effusive praise from NFL Network’s Brian Baldinger for his ability to penetrate and get into the backfield. That quality was evident in a college career that saw him record 22 tackles for loss and 13.5 sacks for Penn State. He had a five-sack season in 2016 and another in 2018 when he also had 10.5 TFL.

Despite that showing, Givens has a tough path to the 49ers’ 53-man roster. San Francisco added Dee Ford and Nick Bosa to a stacked defensive line in the offseason. On the interior, they have DeForest Buckner, Solomon Thomas, and Arik Armstead while Ronald Blair has been a valuable rotational pass rusher. Damontre Moore has also impressed off the edge in the preseason.

Jullian Taylor and Kentavius Street, seventh and fourth-round picks in 2018 have inside-outside versatility. Street, who missed his rookie year with a torn ACL sustained in the pre-draft process, had 1.5 sacks against the Broncos.

With such a great depth of talent in the trenches, a talented defensive lineman looks set to miss out on the roster.

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Givens’ display in Denver put him in contention to make the cut but, given the amount of competition he has, a follow-up performance in the Niners’ third preseason game with the Kansas City Chiefs will likely be needed for him to earn a role in an extremely deep rotation.