The 49ers placed a great deal of emphasis on the 2025 NFL Draft. After all, the organization had many holes to fill on defense, and they opted against being aggressive during the free-agent signing period. The 49ers used their first five draft selections to focus on giving defensive coordinator Robert Saleh some players.
With our All Access Daily newsletter, stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! SIGN UP HERE SIGN UP HERE “We had some departures this offseason,” 49ers general manager John Lynch said, “and we felt it was important to restock. Not just with guys.
We wanted to put guys that fit our vision for what we want that room to be.” The 49ers did not bring back more than a handful of significant defensive players, including defensive linemen Javon Hargrave, Maliek Colllins and Leonard Floyd, linebacker Dre Greenlaw, and defensive backs Charvarius Ward and Talanoa Hufanga. The 49ers re-stocked at every level of the defense during the draft. Suddenly, the 49ers appear to have some depth along the defensive line with three draft picks being added to the mix.
Here is a look at how the 49ers’ defense sizes up from front to back: Defensive end Starters: Nick Bosa, Mykell Williams Backups: Yetur Gross-Matos, Sam Okuayinonu, Robert Beal, Drake Jackson (if healthy) Gross-Matos is a starting-caliber defensive end who figures to see a lot of action this season as a rotational D-end, as well as a nickel pass-rusher at defensive tackle. The 49ers finally got someone to complement Bosa on the other side, with the selection of Williams in the first round. Williams turns 21 in June, and he is being counted upon to be an every-down defensive end from Week 1.
He is strong at setting the edge in the run game, and he should be able to bring some more juice to the pass rush, too. Jackson, a second-round pick in 2022, faces an uphill struggle to get healthy and make a contribution after being sidelined all of last season with a knee condition. Defensive tackle Starters: Jordan Elliott, Alfred Collins Backups: C.J.
West, Evan Anderson, Kevin Givens Elliott, who started 44 games over the past three seasons with the Browns and 49ers, returns after starting 13 games for the 49ers last season. He could face challenges from two rookies to hold onto his starting job. Collins, a second-round pick, should win a starting job.
And West has a chance to be more than just a rotational player, as the 49ers look to shore up a run defense that must improve this season. Linebacker Starters: Fred Warner, Nick Martin, Dee Winters Backups: Tatum Bethune, Curtis Robinson, Luke Gifford The 49ers made a late push to retain Greenlaw as a free agent. But they waited too long to make their best offer, as he already had committed to playing for the Denver Broncos.
Martin plays the game with a similar tenacity as Greenlaw. He is being counted upon to supply the 49ers with an immediate upgrade at a position that was a weakness last season. There should be plenty of competition to fill those spots on either side of Warner at the second level of the 49ers’ defense.
Cornerback Starters: Deommodore Lenoir, Renardo Green, Upton Stout (nickel back) Backups: Tre Brown, Darrell Luter If Stout is as sturdy at nickel back as the 49ers expected when they picked him in the third round, the 49ers’ third-down defense should be improved. Lenoir and Green are the starters on the outside. Green showed a lot of promise as a rookie.
He is expected to take over for Ward, who signed with Indianapolis in the offseason. The 49ers are not particularly deep at cornerback. They added Brown, who started 10 games the past two seasons with Seattle.
Safety Starters: Ji’Ayir Brown, Jason Pinnock, Malik Mustapha (if healthy) Backups: Marques Sigle, Richie Grant, George Odum, Siran Neal The 49ers were dealt a blow early in the offseason, with Mustapha undergoing surgery to repair a torn ACL. He will open training camp on the physically-unable-to-perform list and is likely to miss at least the first four games of the season. Brown and Pinnock are slated as the Week 1 starters.
Pinnock started all 32 games in which he appeared over the past two seasons with the New York Jets. Sigle, a fifth-round draft pick, has the versatility to play nearly every position in the secondary. If he catches on quickly, he can work his way into a significant role.
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