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An honest assessment of the 49ers' rookies halfway through the season

Originally posted on San Francisco 49ers on SI
By Parker Hurley | Last updated Oct 27, 2025 11:00 AM ET

We always knew the San Franciscio 49ers 2025 rookie class going to have a big say in what the outcome of the season would be. While the team got off to a hot start, and the rookie class has had some highs, the lows of the class also have shown in what could be a sign that the 49ers season does not have a high ceiling.

San Francisco 49ers rookie class being put to the test

Mykel Williams has flashed in moments, and in the right group of pass rushers, he is already showing he can be complementary. However, he was the 11th overall pick, and without Nick Bosa, Yetur Gross-Matos, Bryce Huff, and now Sam Okuayinonu going down, the load is all on him. Is he struggling or being asked to do too much?

Collins is starting to do more, which is good because he started the season as the fourth-man in a not-so-flashy rotation. Collins made a huge play to win the game against the Los Angeles Rams and he is likely to be good against the run, but he brings little as a pass rusher, and his run defense has been up-and-down despite flashes.

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Upton Stout won the starting job right out of training camp, and is good against the run, but he can get picked on in coverage and had a costly penalty against Houston. Chase Lucas is a journey man and there has been little drop off between him and Stout when Stout missed time. The team may be thinking about starting Lucas soon if the issues with Stout continue.

Nick Martin has yet to see the field despite multiple injuries at his position. Marques Sigle started the season with a starting spot, but that has slowly been taken over by Malik Mustapha and while Connor Colby started for the injured Ben Bartch, they would like to replace him the first chance they can. He has been the biggest issue on the line.

On one end, getting this many starting snaps from a rookie class is impressive, especially at their record. On the other end, a lot of these rookies are either struggling or not progressing as they currently stand. The 49ers do not have the depth to get by without getting a few these rookies to make progress. It will be interesting to see what comes of this draft class given the early experience.

This article first appeared on San Francisco 49ers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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