According to a report from Dianna Russini, the San Francisco 49ers acquired defensive tackle Khalil Davis in a trade with the Houston Texans for a 2026 seventh-round pick shortly before the trade deadline.

Why did the 49ers trade for Davis?

The Niners clearly felt the need to bolster their defensive strength and appeared to be in a position to make at least one deal before the buzzer. Although far from an impact player, Davis has been a solid rotational center back throughout his career.

One might assume that Davis' role won't be the same as Collins or Omenihu, and at 6'3″ tall and 300lbs, his primary role is to stop the run. Davis' playing time has fluctuated this season with the Texans. He played between 21 and 50 percent of the snaps. But in most games this season, Davis has had more pass-rushing snaps than run snaps.

Javon Hargrave is out for the season with a partially torn triceps. The 49ers have been tough to beat defensively this season, with Jordan Elliott, Kalia Davis and Kevin Givens all missing time. Evan Anderson is a rookie and undrafted free agent. Anderson's upside is noticeable, but depth has been a concern since the loss of Hargrave.

Davis has four tackles for a loss, one sack and three quarterback hits this season. Like most players, his best game came against the New England Patriots offensive line. Davis had four pressures in 22 pass-rushing snaps. He also had productive games against the Chicago Bears and Indianapolis Colts. Perhaps the most promising sign when looking at Davis' box scores is that his production is holding up as his snap count increases.

Who is Khalil Davis?

Davis was originally a sixth-round pick in the 2020 draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but only appeared in two games as a rookie before being claimed off waivers by the Indianapolis Colts. He appeared in just one game with Indy before being released, bounced back and forth between practice squads and even briefly joined the USFL before facing Houston last year.

Davis will be reunited with former Texas defensive tackle Malik Collins on the 49ers front line. This is the third time the 49ers have traded a defensive lineman from the Houston Texans.

Before taking over Davis, they had two successful businesses. Collins was a teammate of Davis. The Niners previously acquired Charles Omenihu, who was a breakout star for the 49ers in 2022.

What does Davis mean for the 49ers salary cap?

Davis is a free agent after this season. After prorating, he will cost the 49ers less than $650,000 against the cap.

A good performance and Davis could secure a future contract with the 49ers. Jones and Davis are in the final years of their contracts. Hargrave will suffer a season-ending knee injury. That leaves Elliott, Collins and Anderson.

Where do the 49ers stand in terms of draft picks after trading for Davis?

The seventh-round pick the Niners used to acquire Davis was a compensatory pick.

• Round 1
• Round 2
• Round 3
• Round 3 (equalization)
• Round 4
• Round 6

They lost their fifth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft due to a payroll miscalculation.