The 49ers almost have to take a defensive lineman with their first pick this year.

They might want to take an offensive tackle or a wide receiver or even a running back, but they currently have one starting-caliber defensive lineman on their entire roster and it’s Nick Bosa. And he played just 693 snaps last season — the second-lowest output of his career. The lowest came in 2020 when he tore his ACL and missed all but two games.

So it makes sense that the 49ers would examine the upcoming NFL Draft’s top defensive line prospects extremely closely. And according to reports, the 49ers will host Marshall defensive end Mike Green at their facility for a top-30 visit.

Green might be the second-best pass rusher in the draft after Abdul Carter. He has an explosive first few steps and can bend extremely well which allows him to turn the corner and sack the quarterback. He’s similar to a young Dee Ford.

Keep in mind, the 49ers once traded a second-round pick for an older, broken-down Dee Ford. That’s because Robert Saleh wants a speed rusher to complement Nick Bosa, who’s a methodical power rusher. When Ford was on the field, he frequently would be the first defensive lineman in the backfield so he would force the quarterback to move and hold the ball an extra beat which would give Bosa and the other defensive linemen more time to make the sack.

This was an effective formula. Don’t be surprised if the 49ers try to recreate it.

They already know Green because 49ers defensive quality control coach K.J. Wright worked with him at the Senior Bowl in January. Now, they just need to ask about the two sexual assault accusations against him that were dropped.

If they feel he was innocent, he probably will be the pick. If they’re unclear about what happened, they’ll probably take someone else.