49ers' Week 1 inactives is a major indictment against embattled rookie

The San Francisco 49ers are going to rely heavily on their crop of draftees from the 2025 NFL Draft, particularly on the defensive side of the ball.

One of them, however, isn't suiting up for the Niners' regular-season opener on the road against the Seattle Seahawks.

In Round 3, San Francisco grabbed Oklahoma State linebacker Nick Martin, who was seen as a potential long-term replacement for now-Denver Broncos backer Dre Greenlaw. And despite some notable collegiate injuries, the hard-hitting Marting figured to be an integral piece to coordinator Robert Saleh's defense.

Except Martin's preseason campaign created more question marks than answers.

Granted, there was some modest improvement from the rookie over the balance of the preseason. But that didn't cover up the missed tackles and poor angles Martin frequently took, meaning he'd be a liability in a meaningful content.

That liability ultimately came back to haunt him out of the gate.

Nick Martin being inactive for Week 1 isn't a good look for 49ers

It was evident Martin lost a starting job to third-year pro Dee Winters to pair alongside All-Pro Fred Warner.

However, another blow came 90 minutes prior to kickoff against the Hawks in Week 1 when Martin was listed among the inactives for the game:

It's interesting coordinator Robert Saleh opted to go with Luke Gifford and even the promoted-up-from-the-practice-squad Curtis Robinson instead of trying to get Martin some snaps.

Granted, it's not necessarily a wasted investment on Martin. Nowhere close.

However, for a third-round pick, Saleh and Co. had to be expecting more right out of the gate instead of regulating the day-two selection into street clothes for the game.

Fans will have to see if Martin winds up improving over the course of the season, eventually working his way into the equation, not unlike what Winters did over his first two years.

Until then, though, Martin has been notably disappointing.