2025 NFL Draft Grades: San Francisco 49ers

Best Pick: I think fourth-round pick defensive tackle C.J. West will prove to be a steal. He is a power player who can hold up against the run and keep the 49ers linebackers clean.

Worst Pick: I didn't love the pick of Alfred Collins in the second. I think there were better options inside available when they picked him. I wanted to see more when I watched his tape.

The Skinny: It was clear the 49ers wanted to rebuild their defensive line to go with Nick Bosa. They did a nice job of that by taking Mykel Williams in the first and getting defensive tackles from Collins in the second and West from Indiana in the fourth. Consider it rebuilt. Fifth-round running back Jordan James should find a role as a backup.

Top needs entering the draft: Defensive tackle, offensive tackle, guard, cornerback and edge rusher

This is a crucial draft for the 49ers, who are teetering on a potential rebuild. Yes, injuries decimated their roster on the way to a disastrous 2024 season, but they lost several starters this offseason, including guard Aaron Banks, cornerback Charvarius Ward, linebacker Dre Greenlaw, safety Talanoa Hufanga and wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. Those are impact players who leave big shoes to fill. San Francisco has to figure out how to build its roster around a looming mega-extension for quarterback Brock Purdy.

General manager John Lynch entered Round 1 with 11 picks to play around with, including extra selections in the third, fourth and fifth rounds. Could he come out of the weekend with impact players?

Well, he certainly tried to help his defense. Lynch used his first five picks on that side of the ball, only the second time the 49ers have done that in the common draft era (since 1967). Three of those five made my list of favorite prospects ahead of the draft: linebacker Nick Martin, cornerback Upton Stout and defensive tackle CJ West. Martin and West were solid value picks, while Stout went a little high. All three are fun players who can make an impact, even if they're not likely to be rookie starters.

Jordan Watkins is my 27th-ranked wideout, while Jordan James is my 23rd-ranked running back. San Francisco took both earlier than I would have liked. Quarterback Kurtis Rourke is an interesting flier in Round 7. I was impressed by his decision-making and his timing on throws when going through his tape. I wouldn't be shocked if he made the roster.

This class likely will hinge on whether Mykel Williams can become a force on the other side of Nick Bosa. The 49ers ranked 28th in pressure rate last season (27.7%) and have to figure out ways to take pressure off their defensive backs. Williams is extremely explosive, but his modest sack totals (five in 2024) scared away some teams. Can San Francisco figure out how to get the best out of him on every snap? He has elite upside.

I like a few of the players Lynch took, but the value was questionable. Again, that matters in an exercise like this because you want to see organizations maneuver the board and add extra capital.

The 49ers wasted no time adding reinforcements to their defensive line in this draft, grabbing big-bodied defenders with three of their first five picks. Georgia edge defender Mykel Williams has a massive, long-armed frame and brings a high immediate floor as a top-tier run defender—with a high ceiling as a pass rusher. Texas defensive tackle Alfred Collins looks like an actual giant on the field, dwarfing offensive linemen as he pushes them back into opposing quarterbacks' laps. And Indiana defensive tackle CJ West is a bowling ball of a defender who plays with tremendous power and leverage. Outside that upgraded positional group, Oklahoma State's Nick Martin feels like a classic San Francisco pick as a rangy off-ball linebacker who flies around like his hair's on fire. I'm also very intrigued by the team's selection of Oregon running back Jordan James, who profiles like a twitchier, more elusive version of Jordan Mason (who is now in Minnesota). Christian McCaffrey should continue to dominate touches in this backfield, but if he struggles with injuries at any point this year, it wouldn't be surprising to see James emerge as Kyle Shanahan's new late-round favored son.

Pardon the pun, but the 49ers went mining for gold in the 2025 NFL draft and might strike it rich or strike out with this class, making it a fascinating one.

Neither Kyle Shanahan nor John Lynch were employed by the 49ers when the club boasted one of the NFL's better, more rugged defensive ends in Justin Smith, but that is the kind of player Mykel Williams can be with a little more polish (and health). Similarly, massive defensive tackle Alfred Collins could turn into a monster, but he flashed more than finished while working his way through the depth chart at Texas over his college career. I see similar boom-or-bust potential with linebacker Nick Martin and twitchy but undersized cornerback Upton Stout, each of whom also struggled with injuries in college and, frankly, I thought were both reaches in the third round. If gambling on a player coming off of injury, I think it is wiser to do it late, as the 49ers did with quarterback Kurtis Rourke, who, when healthy, proved a legitimate weapon as both a passer and runner at both Ohio and Indiana.

The one player I absolutely love for the 49ers is running back Jordan James, an instinctive back with terrific vision, lateral burst and contact balance. Like his father, Kyle Shanahan seemingly has a magic wand with running backs, and James will prove it once he gets his opportunity.

Here's why: Mykel Williams in the first round and Alfred Collins in the second round were fine selections for the range they went in. However, the Niners made some big reaches in the third round with linebacker Nick Martin and cornerback Upton Stout. Martin and Stout were projected to go late Day 3 and are probably closer to depth pieces than starters. Still, the 49ers beefed up their run defense, which they desperately needed to do this year.

Most interesting pick: Upton Stout, CB, Western Kentucky

Stout is a very undersized cornerback at 5-foot-8. He made plays on the ball and in space at Western Kentucky, but his size makes him a bit of a head-scratcher in the top 100 picks. Perhaps his tackling ability will make him a weapon in the slot, but Stout and Nick Martin are two undersized players to add to this defense.

This defense badly needed attention, so credit GM John Lynch for earmarking his first five picks on it. First-round DE Mykel Williams and second-round DT Alfred Collins could help Nick Bosa get back to being the dominant player he should be. Third-round LB Nick Martin ought to flourish alongside All-Pro Fred Warner.

To no surprise, the 49ers went heavy on defense with their draft class. They lost several starters in free agency, but the team might not have drafted the right players to immediately fill those voids. Williams surprisingly went ahead of Jalon Walker, and perhaps he doesn't have the same upside as James Pearce Jr., Shemar Stewart and Mike Green. Then again, the 49ers might have seen something in Williams that wasn't easy to spot after Williams played through an ankle injury last season. But this was a deep class for edge rushers. San Francisco also missed an opportunity to add an offensive lineman in the first round after losing Aaron Banks in free agency.

The 49ers took approximately 37 defensive linemen, but they did lose every good player they've had for the last three years, and all the defensive linemen they drafted are good, so kudos to them. Mykel Williams, Alfred Collins, and C.J. West are all great picks that will serve different purposes up front. Upton Stout is a versatile defensive back who was also a good Day Two selection.