Three 49ers Rookies Poised for Huge Impact in Preseason

The San Francisco 49ers' preseason just one week away, and there is an exciting crop of rookies to keep an eye on as they begin their NFL careers.

The 49ers had a league-leading 11 picks in the 2025 NFL Draft, headlined by edge rusher Mykel Williams drafted No. 11 overall.

Other than Williams, who are some others to keep an eye on?

We discuss three 49ers rookies that not only have a chance to make the team, but could earn themselves a major role in the regular-season lineup by dominating in the preseason.

They are three of the six defensive rookies drafted by the Niners this spring.

LB Nick Martin

San Francisco re-signed star linebacker Fred Warner, but said goodbye to running mate Dre Greenlaw.

The third-rounder Martin joins fellow youngster Dee Winters as the presumptive replacement, so a big showing from Martin in preseason could be vital for his place in this competition.

The Oklahoma State product is expected to take advantage of defensive coordinator Robert Saleh's scheme that prioritizes physicality.

"I'll start with Nick," Saleh said in Friday's press conference. "One thing we're not worried about with him is his violence, getting off a block, and understanding how to get to the football. He just has to continue mastering the scheme to give himself the opportunity to play fast.

"That part, from a rookie standpoint, he's got to catch up. But at the same time when he's in a position where he's comfortable to play call, he’s comfortable with what he sees pre-snap, you see everything that we drafted and that stuff is pretty good."

CB Upton Stout

Similarly to the example above, a cornerback spot is vacated for the Niners after Charvarius Ward departed in free agency. Saleh started the presser mentioning this fact, calling the position "wide open".

The other third-round pick, Stout, has impressed so far in camp and seems to have all the tools to respond well to an opportunity to play right away.

"Upton, he is a straining, scrappy young man, don't fall asleep on his size," Saleh said. "I mean, the guy plays way bigger than he is and way bigger than he looks (5-9, 180). He’s got a violence to him; he's got a violence to his demeanor. So, he's coming along really well too in that regard."

There's that word "violence" again. Western Kentucky alum Stout may be frail physically, but he packs a punch that outweighs his physique. He measured as the strongest cornerback at the Scouting Combine with 21 reps on the bench.

Here's a hightlight-reel example of his athleticism with a leaping pass breakup downfield.