Santa Clara, California – Five of the last seven rear of the rear and the 49ers of San Francisco were confronted in 2024 ran on more than 100 yards and the team granted 24 touchdown this season, tied for the second in the NFL.
Friday, these dubious statistics seemed to be in the minds of the 49ers while they focused on strengthening the world of their defense, starting with a defensive platform of 332 pounds at the start of the second round and finishing with a nickel corner of 181 pounds at the end of the third.
Kyle Shanahan admitted the free period last month, one in which the team lost eight runners in 2024 – “more than we (lost) before,” he said – had nervous to fill these holes in the draft. He said he felt much better in his list by the end of the day on Friday.
“I told John (Lynch) today that it was the first day that I expired,” he said.
On Thursday, after taking a defensive with strong arms, Mykel Williams, the 49ers, added another piece to the defensive line of the defensive platform of Texas Alfred Collins, who instantly became the largest defense player of the 49ers and who left his rivals Trent Williams for the biggest guy in the locker room.
Collins stood out for his race defense in Texas, finishing last season with 55 plated and only two missed plated.
The Director General Lynch said that the 49ers also like the rapid feet of Collins and think that over time, he can become more a factor as rusher of pass. Collins has never had more than two bags during his five seasons in Texas, and the 49ers always need a defensive tackle with three techniques penetrating into the draft.
The 49ers like the length of collins especially. He measures 6 feet 6 feet and his 85 -inch wingspan was one of the most important in this year’s draft class. A few years ago, the 49ers had a lot of height and length along the defensive line in players such as Deforest Buckner and Arik Armstead. But that’s something they lacked in 2024.
“This length that (Collins) and Mykel have – this is something that we have been coveting for some time,” said Lynch.
With their first choice in the third round, the 49ers went with someone they think will line up directly behind Collins, the secondary of Oklahoma State Nick Martin.
Lynch said that Martin “imitates Dre Greenlaw in many ways”, and that the 49ers hope to be able to resume the old secondary point of Greenlaw. Martin has no impressive size at 5-11, 221 pounds. But he was one of the fastest seconds of the NFL screening combination and he used this speed to collect 140 plated and six bags in 2023. He only played five games last season due to a knee injury (MCL), but he played that he had played in the Senior Bowl in January and is completely recovered.
“I would say that I am very athletic, so I like to use it to my advantage,” he said. “I am relentless (in) the way I always go for the death kick, whether maximum effort or punish a person with the ball, to find ways to simply change the tone of the game.”
One of Martin’s criticism is that he can play too quickly and become uncontrollable. For example, he had 20 missed plated in 2023, according to Pro Football Focus. As for his size, Lynch noted that Greenlaw was about the same height as Martin, but that he has long arms, which he used to push the blockers. Martin’s arms are similar.
“This is (also) why you are going to look for big guys like Alfred in front of him,” added Lynch. “And I think it’s a beautiful combination.”
The 49ers finished day 2 with another player who stands out for his size – 5-8 1/2 inch of nickel upston stout from western Kentucky. The 49ers, however, think that he compares himself very well with half -cooking of San Francisco, of similar size – K’waun Williams.
The scout of the region which assessed Stout, Warren Ball, described the corner half as having “the heart of a lion”. And the 52 stout plated last season and its 21 press rehearsals from benches with the best harvester – the best among the defensive backs – seem to underline it.
“” Half “is the word I would use to describe his game, his behavior,” said Lynch.
Like Williams, Stout was one of the 30 prospects that visited the 49ers headquarters in the perspective of the draft, and he said that he thought that his aggressive style would be well with that of the other Cornerbacks Dododomore Lenoir and Renardo Green.
When asked if he liked to play against the race, a smile stretched on Stout’s face.
“Of course,” he said. “I always like to stick my nose in there. I have the impression that a large part of my game gets dirty. I like when violence arrives. “
(Photo of Alfred Collins: Rich von Biberstein / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
