49ers rookie defensive lineman 'looks behind' in training camp

Alfred Collins was a second-round draft pick of the San Francisco 49ers in the 2025 NFL Draft in April. A lot is expected of the rookie from Texas, as the 49ers and Defensive Coordinator Robert Saleh look to rebuild a once-dominant defensive front. But Collins isn't currently progressing as quickly as others. According to Matt Barrows of The Athletic, Collins has fallen behind due to an injury that limited him this offseason.

Barrows, speaking with Tim Kawakami on the latest "49ers +/-" podcast, was asked about the three rookie defensive linemen, Collins, Mykel Williams, and C.J. West. Barrows answered, "Alfred Collins not only was a second-round pick, he was a fairly high second-round pick. And he's behind those two guys. He's even behind Sebastian Valdez, who's an undrafted guy.

"Saleh's point the other day, and it's probably the right one, is ok, this is a guy that didn't practice in the spring. He was out with a calf injury, didn't even do any individual pass rush drills or anything like that. So, he's going through, now, what everyone else was going through in the spring."

Collins missed the 49ers' offseason workouts because of a calf injury that he reaggravated at his Pro Day before the draft. He was unable to participate in the rookie minicamp, organized team activities, or mandatory minicamp due to the injury. It's understandable that a player, especially a rookie, might fall behind after missing the offseason program. And Collins appears to have some catching up to do.

"So, he's behind, and he looks behind," Barrows added. "I think that he's got a tendency to, once he gets stymied, he just stops going or stops going as hard as he can.

"When you're as tall as him, and he's almost 6'6, it's about pad level, and these guards and centers can get his momentum stopped fairly early now. And when that happens, he's usually losing the repetition. So, it's a matter of him staying lower and fighting through it. And I'm not sure if his conditioning is exactly where you want it to be."

Barrows also pointed out that Williams, West, and Valdez are all in excellent shape and aren't wearing down during reps. So the contrast between Collins and the other three, when it comes to conditioning, likely makes Collins look worse than he will look once he rounds into shape.

It's not too much to worry about for 49ers' fans, but it is noteworthy that Collins is noticeably behind the others. That said, he has the talent, and he has time to catch up and make the impact the 49ers believe he can make on the field, even as a rookie.

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