Most Important 49ers in 2025: No. 17 is a critical rookie

The San Francisco 49ers made a clear emphasis on stopping the run this offseason. That was highlighted in the draft, where Mykel Williams, Alfred Collins, and CJ West all were noted for their stellar run defense. Collins is going to be called upon early and often in that department, which is what puts him at No. 17 on our roster ranking.

Most Important 49ers in 2025: No. 17 Alfred Collins

Alfred Collins fell to the 43rd pick, and that is not because the teams drafting him thought he had an issue with getting on the field right away. He seems like he has a solid floor as a run defender, but teams wondered if he had enough juice to make an impact as a pass rusher. 

As a rookie, the expectations should be similar. Collins is expected to play a lot of nose tackle for the 49ers this season. Who else on the depth chart will? The depth chart is rounded out by Jordan Elliott, who struggled last year, Kevin Givens, a depth piece coming off an injury, and CJ West, who was taken later than Collins.

The thought is that Collins can step in on early downs and defend the run. He can also eat up double teams, and that may lead to the best that we will see from Elliott. 

On third downs, the team will likely sub out Collins for Bryce Huff, and Yetur-Gross Matos or Mykel Williams will slide inside for Collins while Huff rushes from the outside.

So, Collins has a defined role that comes with a high floor and a bit of a lower ceiling in Year 1. That is fine because if he fills that role well, he will have done something the 49ers need.