The San Francisco 49ers entered training camp expecting a battle between veteran Dee Winters and third-round pick Nick Martin for the starting weak-side linebacker spot next to Fred Warner. While Martin was considered a contender, Winters appears to be pulling further ahead in the race, having looked like the frontrunner from the start.
Martin's NFL preseason debut on Saturday against the Denver Broncos didn't help his case. According to Pro Football Focus, the rookie linebacker earned one of the lowest grades in the game (31.6). He had plenty of opportunities to shine, logging 49 defensive snaps, but struggled with two missed tackles.
In contrast, Winters made the most of his limited playing time, earning a strong 74.2 grade on just 11 snaps.
RELATED 49ers vs. Broncos PFF grades: Best and worst from the game, plus snap counts
On Tuesday, defensive coordinator Robert Saleh shared his evaluation of Martin.
"Nick's doing a good job," Saleh said. "Obviously, he's a big-time run-and-hit linebacker, so he just has to learn how to control himself at the tackle point, come together, get his feet underneath him, and just get his body on the ball carrier until the speed of the game catches up to him—if that makes sense.
"But he's young. It was his first real live action in over a year and a half, so we're not concerned with some of those missed tackles. I think we'll get those cleaned up."
After Saturday's game, head coach Kyle Shanahan shared his assessment.
"He ran around, got a lot of playing time," Shanahan said. "He had a couple misses, especially on a big third down on a shallow cross across the field—just got his eyes a little too nosy with the back. But I like how Nick's been going. I think there's a lot of tape that he can get better from watching this today."
Saleh believes Martin benefits from being surrounded by experienced veterans who can help guide his development.
"He's in a good place," Saleh continued. "The good thing is, he's got a lot of teammates who have had first preseason games that didn't go so well. You just put it to the side and find a way to get better. He's going to have another opportunity to do that against Vegas."
The 49ers will hold a joint practice with the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday, followed by a preseason matchup on Saturday at Allegiant Stadium. It will be another key chance for Martin to make an impression.
Saleh remains optimistic.
"He's got tremendous range, speed, and plays with a violent mindset. Just got reel it a little bit," the coach added.