While the 49ers' early picks in the NFL Draft garnered a lot of attention, a fifth-round pickup probably should be receiving some love.
It's understandable why NFL Draft pundits and fans are paying much more attention to the San Francisco 49ers' picks from Rounds 1 through 3.
They should be paying a little more attention to a fifth-round selection, though, Kansas State defensive back Marques Sigle.
Sigle, taken at No. 160 overall, may remind Niners fans of another rookie defensive back taken a year ago, Malik Mustapha, whose hard-hitting ways endeared him to fans over the course of 2024.
Of course, Mustapha suffered a torn ACL in San Francisco's season finale and won't be ready for the start of 2025, meaning Sigle could get plenty of exposure right out of the gate, provided he lives up to a similar hard-hitting reputation.
There are reasons to believe this happens.
Fans must get excited about Marques Sigle in a 49ers uniform
Sigle, 5-foot-11 and 195 pounds, epitomized the 49ers' desire to improve the run defense. Despite being a defensive back, the former Wildcat doesn't mind playing down close to the line of scrimmage and certainly punches above his weight class.
This scouting report from Kyle Crabbs of The 33rd Team should help get fans excited about the rookie:
"Sigle is a twitched-up defender who has a notable menu of coverage implementations that make him a likable addition to an NFL secondary. Sigle is dense and physical enough to play closer to the core despite his lack of wingspan and reach to attack blockers or wrap up in the run game.
Sigle is aggressive in playing downhill and blurs the lines between a corner and a safety at times, making him the perfect fit for a third safety.
He is better suited playing lower to the line of scrimmage, so teams that want to play base or prefer more of a true, developed cover option in the slot may regard him as more of a depth player early on, but the flashes and background indicate he’s capable of developing here."
Beyond what Sigle does well on the field, which included four interceptions, 10 tackles for a loss and 12 passes broken up over two years at Kansas State, the intangible measurables also bode well for him to be a massive sleeper.
His NFL Combine numbers were elite, including a position-best 4.37 40-yard time, and the much-discussed RAS score put him into an upper echelon, too:
Marques Sigle is a FS prospect in the 2025 draft class. He scored an unofficial 9.53 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 52 out of 1095 FS from 1987 to 2025.
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) February 28, 2025
Splits projected, times unofficial.
https://t.co/4MIKcMHdFP pic.twitter.com/ar7uL6ZwLF
Granted, his size and limited abilities as a single-high safety helped prevent him from being drafted earlier, and the rookie will have a long way to go before becoming the Niners' next fifth-round draft stud (a class that includes tight end George Kittle, now-Denver Broncos linebacker Dre Greenlaw and cornerback Deommodore Lenoir).
That said, it appears as if Sigle can fit perfectly into that niche, and there'll be plenty of reasons to keep monitoring him between now and Week 1.