One 49ers defensive lineman made the most of his opportunities on Monday.
The San Francisco 49ers had their first day of padded practices on Tuesday, kicking off their most important portion of training camp.
With pads came 1-on-1 drills as reporters on hand got to evaluate the offensive and defensive linemen with a better scope, both in the run game and the passing attack.
First-round rookie Mykel Williams continued to show out, earning praise from defensive coordinator Robert Saleh and left tackle Trent Williams. But, he wasn’t the only defensive rookie to have a day.
Fourth-round pick C.J. West dominated in 1-on-1 drills, with reports suggesting he won up to five 1-on-1 reps against the offensive linemen. West, a smaller defensive tackle at 6’1, has quickly made an impression on his teammates, suggesting he could play an influential role as a rookie.
“He’s like a little fire hydrant,” defensive coordinator Robert Saleh said about West on Monday. “He’s powerful, he’s got heavy hands. He’s gonna be fine.
“Like a lot of rookies, there’s so many things that they’re learning that, especially on the interior of the D-line, it’s a game within a game. The first thing they learn is pocket push, and then they learn how to capture an edge and rush from there.”
West’s pass-rush skills, quickness, and hands were positives coming out as a senior from Indiana. Despite having a shorter length than his peers, his mix of power and speed could be a force to reckon with as a pass rusher for the 49ers.
That power made him a tackle-for-loss machine last season at Indiana, and could get him on the field early on, even as a run-stuffer.
With their rookie class, San Francisco has quite a versatile group of players. Teammates have raved about Mykel Williams’s unique size and length on the edge, which could make him an interior pass rusher in the team’s NASCAR packages.
Then, there’s Alfred Collins and his bigger-bodied frame, which is well-suited to help stop the run. And then there’s C.J. West, who may be the wildcard of San Francisco’s draft at 6’1, 316 pounds.
All three should compete and play feature roles for the 49ers in 2025, with each seemingly getting ample opportunity in training camp to prove their skills.