The San Francisco 49ers appeared to have one goal in mind entering the 2025 NFL Draft… improve the defensive line group.
Most thought they accomplished that goal when they selected Georgia EDGE defender Mykel Williams at No. 11 overall, but one NFL Insider believes another Niners’ rookie is in for a potential breakout season in 2025.
Alfred Collins Named a Rookie Breakout Candidate for 2025 NFL Season
The 49ers defense has been one of the better units in the league for the better part of the last five years due to players like Nick Bosa and Fred Warner anchoring the unit.
Unfortunately, the losses of players like Dre Greenlaw, Talanoa Hufanga, Javon Hargrave, Maliek Collins, and Charvarius Ward led to San Francisco focusing heavily on the defensive side of the ball this draft cycle.
USA Today NFL Insider Tyler Dragon pinpointed Texas DT Alfred Collins, and not Mykel Williams, as a rookie breakout candidate entering the 2025 NFL season in a recent article.
Dragon wrote, “The 49ers are projected to have three new starters along their defensive line. San Francisco’s first five draft picks were all used on defensive players, including first and second round picks on defensive linemen. Defensive end Mykel Williams is projected to start. Collins could find his way into the starting lineup as well.”
The overhaul of the 49ers defense focused heavily on the defensive line unit, which makes put both Collins and Williams in line for potential full-time roles to start their NFL careers.
Dragon added, “The interior of San Francisco’s d-line suffered when Javon Hargrave sustained a season-ending injury. Only one Niner interior defensive lineman scored above a 60 grade as a run defender, per Pro Football Focus.”
Collins had a solid career during his time with the Longhorns, amassing 141 total tackles, seven sacks, 12 pass deflections, and even an interception over his 64 games worth of action at Texas.
Those numbers spread over five years may not sound earth shattering but considering Collins is an interior defensive lineman who is regularly sifting through traffic and occasionally fighting through double teams should give some context to his modest tackle totals.
How Does Alfred Collins Fit in the 49ers DL Rotation?
When you think of the 49ers defensive line at this moment, Nick Bosa is the first name that comes to mind. He is the stud of this group and is a strong NFL Defensive Player of the Year candidate when he is healthy.
Yet, when you get past Bosa… there isn’t exactly a lot of proven production currently on the roster along the defensive line.
Jordan Elliott and Kevin Givens have a combined 13 career sacks between them. To be fair, Givens did register a career high with 3.5 sacks in just eight games played in 2024, but the Niners would likely be happy with similar production from the Penn State product this season.
This does open the door for Collins or Williams to make a noteworthy impact along the defensive line in San Francisco in 2025.
It can be tricky to define what would be considered a breakout year for a rookie defensive tackle like Collins, but securing a full-time role with around five sacks while helping anchor a vastly improved rushing defense would be considered a big success for him to start his NFL career.
If the 49ers can get big contributions from both Collins and Williams in year one, then this San Francisco defense could return to it’s dominant far quicker than most expect in 2025.
