Edge rusher Pita Taumoepenu didn’t pan out for the 49ers after they selected him with the No. 202 pick in the 2017 draft. Now he’s finding his way in a different pro league.
Taumoepenu was named the XFL Defensive Player of the Year for the 2023 season after posting 7.5 sacks, eight tackles for loss and four forced fumbles this season for the Vegas Vipers.
Now he’s getting another opportunity thanks to his performance in the XFL. Taumoepenu is getting a workout with the Cleveland Browns per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston.
The 49ers were hopeful Taumoepenu would develop into a pass rushing force off the edge following an excellent senior season at Utah. He got off to a rough start in the NFL though. In two seasons with San Francisco he had just three tackles in six games. Over the next two years he played in one game with the Falcons and four with the Broncos. In 11 NFL games he has five tackles and zero sacks.
