After watching a handful of key veterans walk in free agency, the 49ers went heavy on defense in the draft. Interestingly, many of their picks were heavily criticized by the media despite the clear weaknesses being addressed. Luckily for San Francisco, the media’s initial takes look to be quite bad.
Throughout the early part of training camp, multiple picks are flashing and look to be day one starters. Upton Stout is atop almost every reporter’s top performers list, but the defensive line also deserves some love.
CJ West
Based on reports, West has been the best rookie in the 49ers Training Camp outside of cornerback Upton Stout.
Matt Barrows of The Athletic broke down how well he’s played early on.
“No rookie defensive tackle in the Kyle Shanahan-John Lynch era has looked this good this early, including 2017 pick D.J. Jones, who’s built a lot like West but was a bit of a late bloomer. West has an NFL-ready bull rush as evidenced by the way he’s routinely knocked guards and centers backward in one-on-one drills. ”
The West news is extremely encouraging, as the interior defensive line was a clear weakness last season. The power in West’s hands is what stands out. It may be early, but it’s looking like West will be a critical piece to the Niners’ front seven for many years to come.
Mykel Williams
Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area discussed the Niners’ first-rounder and what his role is expected to be in his rookie season.
“Mykel Williams, let’s cut the bull. He’s a starter week 1. No doubt about it, but can he be a 3 down player where he plays base down, sets the edge in the run game on 1st and 2nd down. Then slides inside and rushes the passer on 3rd down.”
Williams is an interesting case because his size and athleticism give him such a high floor. He should be expected to immediately set the edge in the run game. As far as getting after the quarterback, the expectations should be tempered. He’s still very raw when it comes to his pass rush arsenal. Kicking him inside on clear passing downs is smart for that reason. Plus, the Niners traded for Bryce Huff for his pass-rushing speed and explosiveness. Expect Williams to be a difference maker this year, even if his sack numbers aren’t up there.
Alfred Collins
Collins is one guy who has struggled somewhat to start camp, but Robert Saleh pumped the brakes on worrying about him.
“He’s behind the eight ball, but he’s working hard,” he said. “Love the way he’s approaching every day, and he’ll catch up. He’s a big body with good feet. Those are things you can’t teach. It’s just a matter of time before he gets his legs underneath him and he starts to make more of an impact. That’s visible.”
After missing OTAs due to his contract and health, Collins has started slower than the other two. Like Saleh stated, we shouldn’t be too alarmed. The Texas product has the natural talent to be an impact player sooner rather than later.
49ers’ Defensive Line Depth Chart
It appears that each of these three players will be impactful for the 49ers this upcoming season. Williams’ role appears to be set in stone. The more interesting rotation to keep an eye on is in the interior. West could very well be a bigger key contributor in comparison to Alfred Collins. Add in veterans Kevin Givens and Jordan Elliot, and others to the mix, and this D-Line could look several different ways. Overall, the biggest takeaway of the 49ers’ training camp is that the franchise has added some significant talent on the defensive side of the ball.
