The San Francisco 49ers had one thing in mind as they approached the 2025 NFL draft: Defence Wins Championships. Following a disappointing 6-11 season, the 49ers selected 11 players, six of whom belonged to the defence. This showcased Defensive Coordinator Robert Saleh’s involvement with this year’s draft, with the main goal of beefing up the defence. So let’s take a look at all the 49ers draft picks and break down who’s likely to be a day one starter.
Round 1, Pick 11. EDGE Mykel Williams (Georgia)
EDGE Mykel Williams played three seasons for the Georgia Bulldogs, where his power and agility earned him the titles of Freshman All-American, SEC All-American honors, and named second-team ALL-SEC in both 2023 and 2024. His power racked up the stat line of 67 tackles, 21.5 tackles for loss, and 14 sacks. Mykel Williams’s ability to disrupt plays and add pressure to the quarterback complements star 49ers edge rusher Nick Bosa, almost guaranteeing Williams a day one starting spot and maybe a formidable partner to Nick Bosa that we can watch tear up other teams’ offensive lines every Sunday.
Round 2, Pick 43. Interior Defensive Lineman Alfred Collins (Texas)
Alfred Collins played five seasons with the Texas Longhorns and was a big presence on one of the roughest defensive lines in college football. Collins earned Second Team All-American honors. In his college career, Collins powered his way to an impressive 167 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, and 7.5 sacks. Weighing in at over 330 pounds, Collins is expected to be a brick wall on the 49ers’ defensive line as he has been a crucial run stopper in college, something the 49ers have been lacking in recent years.
Round 3, Pick 75th Overall, Interior Linebacker, Nick Martin (Oklahoma State)
On day two, the 49ers shocked their fan base by taking their third defensive player of the draft and their second of the day. Fans of the franchise, who craved an offensive lineman who can pair well with left tackle Trent Williams and LG Dominick Puni, instead received First Team All-Big 12 honors linebacker, Nick Martin, who led OSU in tackles with 140, the most by any OSU player in the last 40 years. Martin also powered his way to 16 tackles for loss, six sacks, one forced fumble, and two interceptions! It’s worth noting that Martin received a knee injury in 2024 that limited him to just a couple of games, but despite that, Nick Martin is almost certain to make a starting role day one. He’s likely to line up with Fred Warner with the absence of Dre Greenlaw, creating a horrifying defense for any quarterback to go up against.
Round 3, Pick 100, Cornerback, Upton Stout (Western Kentucky)
San Francisco kept the theme going by selecting another defensive player with the 100th pick, Cornerback Upton Stout. Stout recorded 52 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, one sack, and an interception, earning first-team All-Conference USA honors in 2024. In 2022, Stout was tied for the most interceptions, including a pick-six. Looking athis entire college career (including his time at North Texas) Stout tallied a total number of 166 tackles, 6interceptions, 21 pass breakups, and a forced fumble, giving the 49ers another defensive playmaker that could possibly do a great job at replacing Cornerback Charvarius Ward who unfortunately left during NFL Free Agency.
Round 4, Pick 113, Defensive Lineman, C.J West (Indiana)
Throughout this draft, 49er fans only wanted one thing: an offensive lineman. The team responded by selecting yet another defensive lineman in the form of C.J West from Indiana. West is a seasoned vet – playing five seasons in college, starting at Kent State before transferring to Indiana for his fifth season. Over his collegiate career, West recorded 152 tackles, 27 tackles for loss, 9 sacks, and two forced fumbles. This impressive stat line helped earn C.J Third-team All-MAC honors in 2023 and was named an honorable mention All-Big Ten in 2024. At this point, it was clear that the San Francisco 49ers were assembling the AVENGERS to be on their defensive line.
Round 4, Pick 138, Wide Receiver, Jordan Watkins (Ole Miss)
After four long rounds, the 49ers finally selected a player on the offensive side of the ball: Wide Receiver Jordan Watkins. Watkins played five seasons in college, beginning at Louisville, before transferring to Ole Miss, where he finished his collegiate career racking up 185 receptions, 2,682 yards, and 18 touchdowns, while also being a specialized punt returner. At Ole Miss, Watkins earned a spot in the top 10 for all-time receptions, receiving yards, and 100-yard games. Watkins could see some playing time in the future as the 49ers’ Wide receiver, Brandon Aiyuk, is expected to miss the beginning of the season as he continues to suffer from a torn ACL. Watkins could see a few reps in between wide receivers Jauan Jennings and 2024 first-round pick Ricky Pearsall. It’s also likely to see Watkins as a punt returner on a special teams, which has struggled in the past but has seen a lot of improvement this offseason.
Round 5, Pick 147, Running Back, Jordan James (Oregon)
The 49ers continued the draft by adding more depth at crucial positions, including running back Jordan James. This was a much-needed addition, as starting running back Christian McCaffrey will be coming off an Achilles tendinitis injury, and Former running back Jordan Mason was traded this offseason. James ended his college career earning second-team, All-Big Ten honors after racking up 1,267 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns. James also showed an explosive 4.55-second 40-yard dash at the NFL scouting combine.
Round 5, Pick 160, Safety, Marques Sigle (Kansas State)
The 49ers went on and drafted yet another defensive player with Safety Marques Sigle. Sigle record 174 tackles, 26 passes defended, 10.5 tackles for loss, 7 interceptions, and 2 forced fumbles across his college career while playing at North Dakota State and Kansas. In college, Sigle earned the title of team captain in 2024 after playing every eingle game over his two years with Kansas. Sigle could see playing time this season with the departure of Safety Talanoa Hufanga and the injury of Malik Mustapha.
Round 7, Pick 227, Quarterback, Kurtis Rourke (Indiana)
Rourke recorded 10,692 passing yards, 79 passing touchdowns, and 13 rushing touchdowns. While at Indiana, Rourke broke the single-season passing touchdown record. It’s clear that Kurtis Rourke is not meant to be a day one starter, as the 49ers plan to extend Quarterback Brock Purdy, who has taken them either to an NFC Championship game or the Super Bowl in 2 out of 3 years he’s been with the team. However, Rourke could be an essential depth piece to the 49ers roster as there have been difficulties in finding a suitable backup for Brock Purdy.
Round 7, Pick 249, Offensive Lineman, Connor Colby (Iowa)
After seven long rounds, the 49ers finally selected the very thing fans have been waiting for: an offensive lineman. With the 249th pick, the 49ers selected Iowa offensive lineman Connor Colby. Colby has started over 51 games in his career, where he demonstrated immense versatility on the line, playing multiple positions, including right guard, left guard, and right tackle. In 2024, Connor Colby earned his first-team All-Big Ten honors. Also in 2024, Colby started all 13 games for the Iowa Hawkeyes at right guard, where he assisted Iowa in rushing for over 200+ yards, the program’s highest since 2015. Colby would be an efficient piece to the Offensive line as he could help improve the 49ers’ run game. A good 49ers O-line alongside Christian McCaffrey is bound to break numbers and it would be exciting to see if Colby can work alongside Trent Williams and Dominick Puni to have the 49ers offensive line rise through the ranks and come out as one of the best in the league
Round 7: Pick 252, Wide Receiver, Junior Bergen (University of Montana)
With their final pick of the night, the 49ers selected wide receiver Junior Bergen. Bergen adds much-needed depth at the WR position and also helps improve special teams, as Bergen tied the NCAA FFCS record with eight punts returned for touchdowns, and set a school record with 16.71-yard punt return on average, Bergen is a very likely candidate to become a crucial part of the 49ers special teams next year as they’ve been lacking in production the last few years.
To conclude, I’ll give the 49ers a draft grade of B. Through this draft, the 49ers added a plethora of weapons to the defense, obtained crucial depth at needed positions, and even improved their special teams. The 49ers’ defense and special teams will be something to watch next season, and if their offense stays healthy, the 49ers are bound to get back on top of the NFC West and have another deep playoff run under the Shannahan-Lynch administration.