NFL Network’s Bucky Brooks thinks the 49ers defense will be dominant in 2025 after the draft.
The San Francisco 49ers didn’t have the year they’d hoped for in 2024, particularly on the defensive side of the ball, where they really struggled against the run and played far below expectations.
So, it’s no surprise that the team went with a defensive-heavy approach in the 2025 NFL Draft, as each of their first five selections came on that side of the ball, with four of them addressing the front seven.
Were the 49ers sending a message with their approach to the draft? NFL Network’s Bucky Brooks seemed to think so, as he felt that San Francisco was looking to get back to what made them successful over the past few years: a dominant defense.
“[GM] John Lynch of the San Francisco 49ers [sent a clear message in the 2025 NFL Draft] getting back to basics,” Brooks said. “Going back to what the formula has been for them to be successful, which is dominating on the defensive side of the ball.”
It all began with the selection of Georgia defensive Mykel Williams in the first round, who was seen as a relatively ‘safe’ prospect, thanks to his ability as a run defender and upside as a pass-rusher.
“In the first round, you take Mykel Williams to give them an edge rusher to pair opposite Nick Bosa. And then, you continue to build it out,” Brooks continued. “In Mykel Williams, you’ve got a power rusher that’s going to be able to get after it. He’s going to bring the energy. And even though he’s still raw and unrefined, putting him opposite Bosa, he’s going to be able to clean up the game.”
Then came the addition of second-round pick Alfred Collins, giving the 49ers a bigger-bodied interior defensive lineman who can help stop the run, which was an emphasis in this draft.
“Going inside, getting the big man from Texas in Alfred Collins, [he’s] someone that can stop the run game at the point of attack. Being able to just get beefier on the inside, when you think about those classic, inventive San Francisco 49ers teams under Kyle Shanahan, it’s because they’ve been able to dominate.
That emphasis continued in the third and fourth rounds, where the 49ers got a potential starter alongside Fred Warner and double-dipped at defensive tackle in a deep class.
“Add in [DT] CJ West and [LB] Nick Martin, and some of the other guys, this is a defense that is young, athletic, and it should be dominant real quickly as they begin to get back on track,” Brooks added.
The 49ers have an opportunity to return to contention in 2025 after a down year, but they’ll need production early from a number of their rookies. So, it wasn’t a surprise that they looked to get players with safe floors who could help them stop the run and shore up what was a big issue in 2024.
Of course, the defense dominating will also depend on the team’s pass-rush, which will be spearheaded by Bosa, but San Francisco seemed to have a clear plan heading into the draft and selected players that fit that mold on all three days.