A dominant defensive line was the core of the first contending teams in the Shanahan era, but the unit has fallen far from those lofty heights in recent years. The San Francisco 49ers have a DT room full of youth who will certainly play a significant role in 2026. But as the preseason gets underway, the question remains: Who will get playing time, and how effective will they be?
San Francisco fully reset the defensive tackle position in the 2025 offseason, parting ways with highly paid free agent acquisition Javon Hargrave and trade acquisition Maliek Collins, opting for a youth movement. They drafted Alfred Collins in the 2nd round, C.J. West in the 4th round, and frequently lined up 1st-round edge defender Mykel Williams on the interior on passing downs. This group, along with veterans Kalia Davis and Jordan Elliott, flashed at times but struggled often and failed to make a consistent impact. The defensive tackles on the roster combined for only 3.5 sacks, led by two from West.
With an influx of new talent this offseason and as we near the season, it’s worth taking a look at where the 49ers stand in their rebuild of the position group. Davis and Elliott are out, and to replace them, the team traded for former Cowboy Osa Odighizuwa, who should be a huge upgrade—particularly on passing plays. Odighizuwa has accumulated 112 quarterback pressures over the last two seasons per PFF, ranking among the top 11 defensive tackles each of those years.
The 49ers also added to their growing group of young players at the position, drafting undersized Oklahoma standout Gracen Halton in the 4th round and adding Bryson Eason and James Thompson Jr. as undrafted free agents. All three rookies have reportedly impressed in their training camp opportunities, but Thursday night was the first official look at them in red and gold.
With the veteran starters resting, Collins and 2025 undrafted rookie Sebastian Valdez manned the interior spots with the opening unit. Collins is the highest draft pick of the group and an expected starter, but he had a rough night against the Titans 1st-team offense. He was consistently washed out of the play in the run game, most notably on Tony Pollard’s 5-yard touchdown run in the first quarter when recently extended left guard Peter Skoronski forklifted him out of the way to open a cutback lane. Collins also failed to make any impact as a pass rusher; PFF did not credit him with a single pressure or pass rush win on the night.
If Collins fails to rebound, it could open the door to playing time for less-heralded young players. West had a promising finish to 2025 with two sacks in the last 5 games of the season, although he did not participate in the first preseason game. Halton flashed serious potential on Thursday as both a pass rusher and a run defender. His most notable highlight came from a 3-technique alignment in the 2nd quarter when he exploded off the ball and hit Skoronski’s outside shoulder, blowing between him and left tackle Dan Moore Jr. for a 14-yard sack that was negated by a defensive holding penalty down the field. The undrafted trio of Valdez, Thompson, and Eason also impressed, with Eason in particular standing out against the run.
An improved interior is crucial to the 49ers turning around a defense that ranked dead last in the NFL in sacks last season and 2nd to last in tackles for loss, but there is a lack of certainty next to Odighizuwa. If Collins turns in more poor preseason performances, particularly in the run game, the team could be forced to turn to other options. West would likely be the leading candidate, but he and 2024 UDFA Evan Anderson are the only other options with any NFL experience. Both have under 300 NFL defensive snaps. In the passing game, edge defenders Williams—when healthy—and Keion White can kick inside and pick up some slack, but neither added significant production to last season’s struggling group.
A breakout season from a rookie or second-year player would go a long way towards creating confidence in the inexperienced unit, and early returns are promising. But the 49ers are taking a big gamble on an important position group, and the defense could be in for some long days if it fails to pay off.