The San Francisco 49ers revamped their defensive line this offseason. Part of that makeover involved parting ways with Arik Armstead and bringing in former Houston Texans defensive tackle Maliek Collins. Now, paired with veteran Javon Hargrave, Collins aims to show that he can be a dominant force in the interior.
With Hargrave's experience and Collins' raw talent, the 49ers hope to create a formidable duo that can disrupt opposing offenses.
"I've been knowing him (Collins) since he's been at Dallas, just kind of followed him," Hargrave told NFL Network's Omar Ruiz and David Carr. "Always said little things to him on some of his pass rush stuff because, of course, he got a mean spin. So we just want a good disruptive [push] in the inside, so I just think it's going to help me and everybody else out in the inside, too."
Collins has long admired Hargrave and is eager to learn everything he can from his new teammate.
"Man, a guy that I've been studying for a long time," Collins said of Hargrave after Monday's practice. "We came out together (in the 2016 NFL Draft). We trained a little bit in the offseason together. I'm just excited to be here and learn from him."
Collins hopes the pair can feed off each other and make a significant impact, boosting the 49ers' chances of achieving their championship aspirations.
"I think we're going to compliment each other well," Collins commented. "I think his game, the ability to win at the speed that he wins at, on a fast pace through the A gap, through the B gap, I think it's something I can learn from as far as speeding up my rushes. I've been close a lot, as far as pressures and things like that. I'm learning from him how to speed up my rush and get vertical now."
Collins noted that the transition to the 49ers' defense has been relatively easy. The terminology is similar to what Houston used, which makes sense considering Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans was once the 49ers' defensive coordinator.
Collins was already familiar with his new defensive line coach, Kris Kocurek, whom he had wanted to work with for a long time. Kocurek evaluated Collins before the 2016 draft when he was with the Detroit Lions. Collins also learned a lot about the organization from Kerry Hyder, who joined the Texans last season after being released by the 49ers.
As for replacing Armstead, Collins understands he has "big shoes to fill," but he is determined to make his own impact on the 49ers' physical defense.
"I see what he meant to this organization, what he meant to this community, being from [Sacramento]," Collins stated. "Somebody I have a lot of respect for. I'm just here to be the best version of myself."
