CJ West? Alfred Collins? Connor Colby? Who do you see picked from round 2 on getting a key role?
The San Francisco 49ers have finished up mandatory minicamp, and now the wait for training camp begins. That’s when we can see the players in pads and really make some conclusions.
As far as the 49ers’ rookies, first-round pick Mykell Williams has been good, but his defensive line coach, Kris Kocurek, has said “good’s not good enough. It’s safe to assume that with all the issues the 49ers have had on the defensive line, he’ll have a significant role in 2025, if not a starting role.
But who else in that draft could earn a starting role in 2025?
Over at CBS Sports, Chris Trapasso listed fourth-round pick CJ West as the player most likely to earn a key role in 2025. Last we heard about West was when he signed his four-year rookie deal on Friday:
West was as advanced of a run-stuffer as there was at defensive tackle in the 2025 class. He’s ready to go in that area of the game, and based on the 49ers’ other selections, improving the run defense was the club’s core philosophy in the 2025 draft. The former Indiana star is an ascending pass-rusher, too, because along with the heavy hands he deploys to toss blockers ahead to halt the run, he has twitch when attacking upfield.
The 49ers don’t have a primary interior rusher who can stay on the field for three downs and routinely win. Well, they didn’t. They do now with West, whom they stole in the fourth round.
I really can’t argue with West as the guy. As Trapasso says, the 49ers’ run defense was atrocious in 2024. With that said, I think I can make a case for the second-round pick, defensive tackle Alfred Collins. Given the 49ers’ issues on the line since DJ Jones left, Collins wouldn’t have any issue stuffing up the run. West very well could fill that role as well.
Either way, it will be an interesting battle to watch in training camp to see where both West and Collins would fit. It’s fair to say both West and Collins are the future of the interior line. I’d be elated if both found a starting role and are key pieces in the 49ers’ defensive line.
But there are other players that you think could make a starting role in 2025. Wide receiver Jordan Watkins has been turning heads and catching everything thrown at him so far. Perhaps guard Connor Colby can help solidify the offensive line?
What pick after the first round do you see carving out a key role on the 49ers?