The San Francisco 49ers have lofty expectations for their second-round pick from the 2025 NFL Draft, former Texas defensive tackle Alfred Collins.
Yet they might experience a painful delay in his development.
Collins, who's intended to beef up the Niners' shoddy run defense from the last few seasons, is one of 30 Round 2 picks who has yet to sign his rookie contract. It's a bit of an anomaly why so many second-rounders remain unsigned across the league, and the reasons get a little complicated. But, the gist of things is these players are seeking either fully guaranteed contracts, or at the very least, want the most guaranteed money possible.
Either way, the leaguewide standoff is creating problems for both teams and players like Collins drafted in the second round.
OK, so, what's the problem?
Why Alfred Collins can't participate in 49ers training camp (yet)
Unlike rookie minicamp, organized team activities and mandatory minicamp, the NFL's current collective bargaining agreement prevents players from participating in training camp (and subsequently, the preseason) unless they're under contract.
True, contract amounts for rookies are set in stone in the same agreement. But, the verbiage allows wiggle room regarding guarantees and other offsets. That's frequently a hangup and explains why there are often delays for recent draftees, especially ones picked early, in signing their respective deals.
San Francisco fans may recall in the not-too-distant past when then-rookie defensive end Solomon Thomas didn't sign his rookie contract until a few days into training camp in 2017, which prevented him from participating until pen was put to paper.
Now, it's the same case with Collins, who can't partake until a contract is official.
The fact 29 other Round 2 picks have yet to sign indicate the league-wide issue, and the 49ers may not be inclined to cave simply to get the former Longhorn on the field right away.
With rookies reporting to camp on Tuesday, July 15, this is a story that definitely commands monitoring, though.
