Fixing what’s become a patchwork defensive line has to be near the top of the San Francisco 49ers’ 2025 offseason to-do list.
They could opt to do so in free agency. There should be a handful of quality options at defensive end and defensive tackle in the free agent market. A more feasible route financially and for sustainable success will be trying to find a couple of quality defensive linemen in this year’s draft.
Early returns on analysis of the 2025 draft class are offering some good news for the 49ers if that’s the way they want to overhaul their defensive front.
ESPN’s Matt Miller in writing about the Senior Bowl believes this is the best DL group he’s ever seen at the pre-draft event.
Via ESPN:
This is the best defensive line group I’ve seen in the 15 years I’ve attended the Senior Bowl. Ole Miss’ Walter Nolen and Princely Umanmielen plus Texas A&M’s Shemar Stewart are first-round talents and headline a group that has 11 players ranked among my top 65 prospects. Marshall’s speedy edge rusher Mike Green, the FBS leader in sacks in 2024 (17.0), is another player to watch.
This group is stacked and versatile, with quick, smaller edge players and big, strong defensive tackles such as Texas’ Alfred Collins and Kentucky’s Deone Walker. The defensive line is the strength of the 2025 draft class, and it will be well represented in Mobile.
Miller isn’t the only analyst excited about this year’s draft class. NFL Media’s Daniel Jeremiah also noted on Twitter that more than 30 percent of his initial top-50 ranking is defensive linemen.
Working on my initial Top 50 prospect list. I have 16 DL slotted in there.
— Daniel Jeremiah (@MoveTheSticks) January 27, 2025
This is a big draft for the 49ers since they’ll need to restock their roster with affordable talent. The 2024 draft looks like it’ll be a productive one for San Francisco. If they can take advantage of what looks like a deep defensive line class to rebuild their defensive front around defensive end Nick Bosa, they’ll be in good shape to open up another Super Bowl window.