The San Francisco 49ers invested a lot of draft capital in young defensive players during the 2025 NFL Draft.
Two players, defensive tackle Alfred Collins and linebacker Nick Martin, seemed poised to earn starting roles, but that may not be the case after training camp.
Collins was selected in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft while Martin was selected in the third. Given how high both were selected, there was an expectation they would both be starters in their rookie seasons.
After San Francisco revamped the defensive line and moved on from the likes of Maliek Collins and Javon Hargrave in the offseason, Collins was viewed as a replacement for those guys.