Fans of the 49ers are on edge anticipating the arrival of a bookend pass rusher to complement defensive end Nick Bosa.

There are some big names floating around, available by trade or when free agency opens on March 12.

Spend some time on social media and it won’t be difficult to find the likes of Myles Garrett, Maxx Crosby, Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack being fitted for 49ers uniforms and paired with Nick Bosa.

The 49ers are not averse to the big deal. Trent Williams and Christian McCaffrey arrived via trade. Charvarius Ward and Javon Hargrave were free-agent signings that pretty much came out of nowhere. Last year’s free agent signings of Leonard Floyd and Yetur Gross-Matos didn’t do a lot to move the needle.

The 49ers will need to take a bigger swing this offseason in hopes of reversing a 6-11 faceplant and rejoining NFC contenders such as the Super Bowl champion Eagles, Washington Commanders, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Just having better luck in terms of health won’t be enough if the 49ers can’t put more pressure on the quarterback. They finished 24th in sacks in 2024 with 37. That’s down from 44 (tied for 10th) in 2023, 48 in 2022 (9th) and 48 (tied for 5th) in 2021. They had just 30 in 2020, another injury-ravaged six-win season. In 2019, in reaching the Super Bowl, the 49ers had 48 sacks and finished ninth.

The sack numbers tell only part of the story. Since the 49ers struggled defending the run in the last nine games of the season, opportunities for hitting the quarterback decreased and opposing quarterbacks had time to find open receivers.

And while improving the run defense and finding help on the interior to push the pocket from the middle would go a long way toward improving the pass rush overall, the chance for adding a second marquee edge rusher won’t be overlooked.

Here’s a look at four big names that have been connected with the 49ers and the likelihood they could end up opposite Nick Bosa:

Myles Garrett, Cleveland

Availability: Garrett wants out, and even penned a letter to explain why. He’s 29, wants to be on a contender and doesn’t see it happening with the Browns.

“The goal was never to go from Cleveland to Canton, it has always been to compete for and win a Super Bowl,” Garrett wrote on Feb. 5.

Let’s assume for the purposes of this exercise Garrett thinks that’s doable with the 49ers even though they were 6-11 last year.

What he brings: Let’s see . . . six-time Pro Bowl player, four-time first-team All-Pro including the last two seasons. The 2023 NFL Defensive Player of the Year. The No. 1 pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. At 6-foot-4, 272 pounds, can set an edge against the run as well as rush the passer. Probably the NFL’s top defensive end over the last two years and that includes the guy that would be playing on the other side were he to join the 49ers.

What he would cost: Say goodbye to the 49ers’ first-round draft pick, No. 11 overall. And next year’s first-round pick as well. Plus probably additional picks and even a player or two, and throwing Deebo Samuel into the mix won’t do much to get the Browns excited.

With Cleveland having done the heavy lifting on his original five-year, $125 million deal, Garrett is due $1.255 million in 2025 and $1.3 million in 2026.

Biggest obstacles: Even though finding another Garrett in the draft is unlikely, the 49ers are probably reticent to give up that much draft capital. But the biggest problem? Garrett hasn’t said it, but it seems unlikely he’d change teams without getting a massive pay bump.

The NFL’s highest-paid defensive player is still Nick Bosa at an average per year (APY) of $34 million. Garrett has out-produced Bosa for the last two years. Cap or no cap, it’s not impossible. But in terms of actual dollars, are the 49ers willing to spend that much on bookend pass rushers?

Maxx Crosby, Raiders

Availability: Like Garrett, Crosby covets a championship. He was limited to 12 games last season due to an ankle injury that eventually needed surgery. He has huge credibility among NFL players for his effort level. I’ve heard both George Kittle and Bosa talk glowingly about Crosby and the way he plays the game.

In visiting over the weekend for the NBA All-Star Game, Crosby took to the social media platform X to lavish praise on the Bay Area.

“Easily one of the best experiences I’ve had so far as a professional,” Crosby wrote. “The amount of love y’all showed for this 4th rounder from Eastern Michigan was humbling.”

Upon closer inspection, it was more likely a love letter to Raiders fans still in the area who haven’t forgotten Crosby or his start in Oakland.

The Raiders have given no indication they would trade Crosby, who is still under contract. But they have a ton of needs under new GM John Spytek and coach Pete Carroll and Crosby has a lot of wear and tear on his 28-year-old body.

What he would cost: The Raiders would want to load up on picks, just like the Browns. That means No. 11 and next year’s first-round pick, as well as others.

Under the terms of his current contract, Crosby is at $22.2 million in 2025 and $18.8 million in 2026.

Biggest obstacles: Carroll’s arrival and the new regime may have given Crosby some hope the Raiders could actually make something of themselves. He’s also similar to Garrett in that any deal would likely include a contract extension that would be considerably more than he’s scheduled to make -- which, again, is well short of Nick Bosa money.

Joey Bosa, L.A. Chargers

Availability: Nick Bosa’s older brother is expected to be a salary cap casualty that would save the Chargers more than $25 million against the cap. Translated, that means Bosa hasn’t produced at the level the Chargers had hoped due to injury. The No. 3 overall draft pick in 2016 has played in 28 of the last 51 regular season games and had 14 sacks due to concussions, a hip injury, a hand injury and a groin injury.

In a recent Instagram Story, Cheryl Bosa, the mother of the boys, shared an edited picture Nick of and Joey standing side-by-side in 49ers jerseys.

What he would cost: If Joey Bosa is released as expected, the 49ers wouldn’t have to part with anything. He’d simply be available to the highest bidder and sign as a free agent. The 49ers could trade for Bosa and assume the $13 million salary on the last year of his contract, but that doesn’t happen often with players who are expected to be released.

Biggest obstacles: Joey Bosa turns 30 in July. His injury history over the last three years has been extensive. Any reluctance by the 49ers would be more injury- and performance-driven than by the payout.

Khalil Mack, Chargers

Availability: Mack is scheduled for unrestricted free agency and the Chargers have plenty of cap space. Coach Jim Harbaugh is on record as wanting him back, but Mack is expected to test the market.

The No. 5 overall pick by the Raiders in 2014, Mack has 107 1/2 career sacks, has been named to eight Pro Bowls and was named Defensive Player of the Year in 2016 in Oakland and runner-up in 2018 with Chicago. After a bounce-back season of 17 sacks in 2023, Mack had just six in 2024 as he battled nagging injuries.

Mack has always been a very good edge setter, whether it’s been on the line with his hand on the ground or as a 3-4 outside linebacker.

What he would cost: As a free agent, Mack would cost nothing in terms of draft picks. But the 49ers are prone to be sensible when it comes to signing older players (unless they’re older players already on the roster). It would likely be Mack’s last contract. He’s already made more than $169 million, so it’s possible he’d go to a team that could get him a ring for less money than a non-contender.

Biggest obstacles: Mack is 33 years old. Even if he didn’t bounce all the way back to his 17-sack form in 2023, could the 49ers get a dozen or so out of him as opposed to the six he had in 2024? With experience as an end and as an outside linebacker, Mack would have to be comfortable being primarily a rush end.