After using their first four picks in the 2025 NFL draft on Georgia edge rusher Mykel Williams (No. 11 overall), Texas defensive lineman Alfred Collins (No. 43), Oklahoma State linebacker Nick Martin (No. 75) and Western Kentucky cornerback Upton Stout (No. 100), the San Francisco 49ers ended their run on defensive draft picks by taking Indiana defensive lineman CJ West in the fourth round.
West, 22, was a three-star recruit at Nazareth Academy in La Grange Park, Illinois before committing to Kent State for the 2020 season. In four years with the Golden Flashes, he earned All-MAC honors once and recorded 110 tackles (19 for a loss), seven sacks, one pass defensed, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery in 39 games played.