The San Francisco 49ers selected defensive tackle Alfred Collins with high hopes in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft. However, his dismal rookie campaign left much to be desired. In fact, his play was so poor that PFF graded him 123rd out of 134 players at the position.
A strong drumbeat in camp and a few votes of confidence by coaches have complicated the situation. Fans have been tasked with trying to figure out which Collins is the real Collins: the one who contributed to arguably the league's worst pass-rushing unit last season or the one who is destined to improve. Recently, the 49ers might have tipped their hand in answering that question.
Recently, NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reported on the situation regarding Tampa Bay Buccaneers' interior lineman Vita Vea. He said that the superstar still wants a trade, yet the team is intent on agreeing on an extension. Regardless of which scenario will play out, various teams have reached out regarding the DT. One of those is the 49ers.
49ers actions speak louder than their words
The 49ers' (now legitimate) pursuit of the interior mountain speaks volumes about their confidence level in Alfred Collins. Whether they think he is capable of improving may not be a relevant question, as they are competing with elite front sevens like the Los Angeles Rams and the Seattle Seahawks. Given that the Rams further bolstered their already-stout defense by adding future Hall of Famer Myles Garrett, the Niners surely feel they must do something to level the playing field.
Not to mention that legend Aaron Donald has long been linked to Los Angeles in a potential return to the league, it appears the 49ers are aware they are far behind their counterpart in terms of defensive proficiency.
Vea is hardly the first NFL player to demand a trade in order to get his money. Unfortunately for the Niners, though, many of these trade requests end in an extension with the player's original team. With little to no word that the Bucs might be interested in succumbing to Vea's wishes, it appears this situation might end in anticlimactic fashion. Such a scenario would leave the 49ers back at square one.
If San Francisco is unable to land the defensive cornerstone, they will be forced to rely on unproven players like Collins, C.J. West, and Mykel Williams, second-year linemen with unproven resumes looking to make names for themselves in the NFL. It's a risky strategy when the rest of their roster boasts so much high-level experience, and fans will see if it pays off in less than a month.
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