The 49ers spent considerable effort revamping their defensive line in the NFL Draft, and one day-three pick might have an immediate impact.
The San Francisco 49ers are in a position where they need to rely heavily on an immediate impact from their 2025 NFL Draft class, namely in light of a serious flurry of roster departures earlier during the offseason.
No other position received more attention over the three days of the draft than the defensive line, which received three fresh-faced prospects to revamp what had become a depleted unit.
The Niners can expect their top two drafted players, Georgia defensive end Mykel Williams and Texas defensive tackle Alfred Collins, to make an impression early.
But it might be one of San Francisco's day-three draft pickups who outshines his draft status.
And one NFL analyst fully believes that'll happen.
NFL.com tabs C.J. West as Day 1 starter
Combing through Rounds 4 through 7, NFL.com's Chad Reuter looked at 16 day-three prospects who could immediately become starters right away.
One of them was the 49ers' own, Indiana defensive tackle C.J. West, whose immediate reaction to being drafted by the Niners in Round 4 at No. 113 overall was absolutely priceless.
West made his name being an interior disruptor, and his prowess for not only stopping interior runs but also wrecking pass plays from the inside should help give the rookie an inside track toward earning a starting job, potentially alongside Collins.
Here's what Reuter said of the 6-foot-1, 316-pound nose tackle:
"The 49ers spent two picks in the first two rounds (Mykel Williams in the first and Alfred Collins the second) to bolster their thin D-line, and they continued the trend with West in Round 4. While Collins is a tall people-mover, West is a 6-foot-1, low center-of-gravity nose tackle with quick enough feet and hands to defeat blocks, making him a top-notch run defender. "
In a way, West might remind San Francisco fans of what they had in now-Denver Broncos defensive tackle D.J. Jones, who came to the 49ers in the sixth round of the 2017 draft and quickly made an impact despite his late-round pedigree.
The Niners haven't had a true nose tackle of that ilk since, so it's perfectly reasonable to assume they'll envision West as following a similar trajectory.
If that's the case, West's name will be notably recognizable not just among San Francisco fans but across the rest of the league, too.