Pro Football Focus (PFF) contributor Dalton Wasserman recently identified each NFC team's top offseason decision. For the San Francisco 49ers, it was a significant overhaul of the defensive line that stood out as their most impactful move.
This offseason, the 49ers parted ways with several veteran contributors, including Javon Hargrave, Maliek Collins, and Leonard Floyd. In response, they reloaded through the draft, selecting three promising defensive linemen—Mykel Williams, Alfred Collins, and CJ West.
What makes this rookie trio especially intriguing is their strength against the run—a glaring weakness for the 49ers in 2024.
Wasserman praised the team's draft strategy, calling it the 49ers' best offseason move.
"San Francisco's biggest defensive flaw in 2024 was its porous run defense," Wasserman wrote. "The team's 28th-ranked PFF run-defense grade marked its worst placement in that category since 2016. The 49ers responded by reuniting with defensive coordinator Robert Saleh and acquiring multiple run stuffers in the draft.
"Edge defender Mykel Williams earned an excellent 86.6 PFF run-defense grade across his three seasons at Georgia."
Edge rusher Mykel Williams posted an outstanding 86.6 career run-defense grade across three seasons at Georgia, including an 82.9 mark in 2024. Alfred Collins notched an impressive 85.1 in his final year at Texas, while CJ West led the trio with an elite 88.1 grade at Indiana.
"Alfred Collins and CJ West both ranked among the top 20 FBS defensive tackles in PFF run-defense grade in 2024," Wasserman added. Those three, along with Nick Bosa, will be the new foundation of the 49ers' run defense up front."
By targeting dominant collegiate run defenders and reinforcing the trenches, the 49ers may have laid the groundwork for a defensive resurgence in the 2025 NFL season.