Focusing too intently on your weaknesses during the offseason can easily lead you down an ill-advised path.
The San Francisco 49ers knew they had to improve this offseason in the run defense department, especially after releasing veteran defensive tackle Javon Hargrave. They reunited with former New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh and asked him to take up his old mantle as defensive coordinator. In the draft, they went defensive early and keyed in on players with run stuffing ability.
So far these investments have paid minimal dividends, unlike the 2023 draft class for the Los Angeles Rams that turned around their defense quickly and helped them rebuild on the fly enroute to the postseason.
Mykel Williams, EDGE: 11th overall
Against the run, Williams has very few flaws. He’s strong and physical when taking on blocks and has the upper body strength to get extension against offensive linemen. That, combined with violence when shedding, allows him to disengage and make tackles in his gap. His biggest flaws are gap discipline and recognizing pullers quickly, but those issues are easily fixable.
The Georgia product has some work to do as a pass-rusher, though. Right now, he’ll occasionally win with pure strength and athleticism, and he has the quickness and general movement skills to develop. However, his use of hands is subpar as offensive tackles often make the first significant contact and thwart his moves before they can get started.
Thoughts from JB:
You simply do not take an EDGE rusher with minimal pass rushing upside in the first half of round one. While Williams may fill a much-needed role on the 49ers defense as a run stopper, he likely will never develop into someone opposing quarterbacks are afraid of. The range for his career likely starts with Tyree Wilson on the bottom end and stops on the high end as a longer version of Leonard Floyd.
Williams is now under the microscope with Nick Bosa out for the season. In their first game without Bosa, the 49ers failed to record a quarterback hit for the first time since 2015. Through his first four career games, Williams as earned 10 pressures on 111 pass rushing snaps. For comparison, Bosa also posted 10 pressures in three games but rushed the passer on only 70 snaps.
And there’s reason to be concerned about Williams against the run. Pro Football Focus (PFF) has him at a mark in this department of just 45.9 so far. Out of 67 EDGE defenders with at least 126 snaps, Williams ranks 62nd according to PFF.
It’s been a disastrous start for the first round pick.
Alfred Collins, DT: 2nd round
Overall, Collins can be a very good run defender in the NFL as a 3-technique and has the potential to be effective when lining up over the center. How much he’ll contribute as a pass-rusher is questionable, but he does have decent athleticism for his size to grow into a three-down defender.
Thoughts from JB:
Collins has graded even lower than Williams according to PFF. He ranks as the 22nd of 23 players to record a snap so far on defense for San Francisco. While his ability against the run was a hallmark of his draft profile, he has a grade in this facet of just 36.0.
Nick Martin, LB: 3rd round
Two-year starter who missed a big chunk of the 2024 season with a knee injury. Martin’s career snap experience is relatively low, but his monstrous 2023 production is eye-catching. He too frequently misreads play design or fails to locate the football, which leads to badly missed run fits. He gets stuck on blocks but has the speed and athleticism to pile up tackles when he stays clean. He can blitz but struggles in coverage, so shining on special teams might be mandatory for Martin to make a team as a backup.
Thoughts from JB:
Martin has been a healthy scratch in every game so far from San Francisco, at least from what I was able to find quickly. He’s solidly behind Fred Warner, Dee Winters, and Luke Gifford on the depth chart. The linebackers are the lone positive among the healthy players on the 49ers defense.
Upton Stout, CB: 3rd round
An undersized cornerback who spent much of his time playing wide corner, Stout has the twitch and athleticism to project inside. What he lacks in length he makes up for with his competitiveness. He’s a natural pattern reader with the hips and feet to match breaks without giving up much separation. There are times he fails to trust his cover talent, holding and grabbing without cause. He’s fairly instinctive and has the short-area burst to squeeze throwing windows. Stout’s physical profile could hurt his draft standing, but the determination and athleticism will be hard to ignore.
Thoughts from JB:
Stout is the 17th ranked defender for the 49ers. He’s already missed four tackles on six attempts, which means Puka Nacua could be in store for a field day on Thursday night. Stout has a coverage grade of 48.6 and as the nearest defender in coverage has allowed 10 receptions on 16 targets for 75 yards and three penalties (!).
That is a very tough start for the rookie slot corner.
CJ West, DT: 4th round
CJ West’s combination of strength and movement skills could give him a bright future in the NFL. He can win at the point of attack as a run defender, be effective on stunts in both phases of the game and use his quickness and agility to get penetration when slanting.
Thoughts from JB:
West has played only 34 defensive snaps with 25 coming against the pass and nine versus the run. It’s evident the 49ers feel West is best as a penetrating interior player. He has a measly run grade defense from PFF of 33.9.
