49ers sign third-round defensive end Romello Height to four-year rookie deal

The San Francisco 49ers have signed rookie defensive lineman Romello Height to a four-year contract, the team announced on Tuesday. Height was San Francisco’s third-round selection (No. 70 overall) and becomes the next piece of the club’s defensive front plans after the draft.

Height (listed at 6-3, 239 pounds) comes to the NFL as an established college edge presence with production built over multiple programs. According to the 49ers, he appeared in 50 games with 28 starts over six seasons at Texas Tech (2025), Georgia Tech (2024), Southern California (2022-23), and Auburn (2020-21), totaling 111 tackles, 26.5 tackles for loss, 16.0 sacks, four forced fumbles, and one interception.

On the field over the past two seasons, the 49ers emphasized a steady upward profile, especially in 2025 at Texas Tech. Height started all 14 games he appeared in and recorded 38 tackles, 11.0 tackles for loss, and 9.5 sacks, along with two forced fumbles and a pass defensed. His 2025 performance earned First-Team All-Big 12 honors, a key marker of the impact he was able to make against conference offenses.

The signing also reflects how quickly San Francisco is moving to lock in its draft class as the offseason turns from paperwork to preparation. With the first pick of the team’s two third-round selections, Height is now in place for training camp reps and the evaluation period that comes with them, with the goal of carving out a role on the edge.

For the 49ers, the fit is straightforward. Height’s college production points to a player who can apply pressure from the defensive front, and his length and listed frame give the team a physical template for their pass-rush rotations. The organization’s defensive identity has long depended on bringing multiple bodies to the quarterback, and a rookie who can win off the edge can add flexibility to those looks.

Height’s path now shifts to adapting from college schemes and assignments to the NFL’s quicker reads and more specialized blocking and route-construction challenges. The early watch points will be whether he can translate his burst and leverage into consistent hand-fighting, whether he can hold his gap integrity against the run, and how the coaching staff chooses to deploy him as a situational pass rusher versus a broader downs option.

With his contract in place, the next practical step is camp evaluation, including where he lands in the depth chart and how quickly he earns trust in situational packages. Height’s four-year deal suggests the 49ers are looking for development, but the starting foundation is already there: a track record of college starts, double-digit tackles for loss and sack production, and an All-Big 12 level of performance in his most recent season.

Height becomes the latest defensive front addition in San Francisco’s ongoing effort to refresh a unit built around edge pressure and disruptive interior play. If he can make a meaningful early impact in rotational snaps, his signing could also help the team manage the inevitable wear-and-tear that comes over a long NFL season.