49ers roster 2024: Is Maliek Collins the answer to porous run defense?
It's unclear if Maliek Collins will be a key answer in solving this riddle.
By Peter Panacy
The 49ers lost Arik Armstead during the offseason but traded for Maliek Collins, but questions remain about the defense's ability to stop the run.
The San Francisco 49ers had very few defensive weaknesses a season ago, but stopping the run was certainly one of them.
The Niners ranked 14th in this category, allowing teams an average of 4.1 yards per rush, which is notably questionable considering all the assets general manager John Lynch and Co. have invested in both the defensive line and linebacker corps.
One reason why San Francisco struggled in this area was because of longtime defensive tackle Arik Armstead dealing with foot and knee injuries, missing five regular-season games in the process.
While it might not have been a direct result of the injuries, the 49ers opted to release Armstead during the offseason before executing a trade with the Houston Texans for defensive tackle Maliek Collins as a stopgap measure.
Collins, 29 years old, is both younger and cheaper than Armstead. And he's had a relatively clean slate of health since joining the league as a third-round NFL Draft pick of the Dallas Cowboys back in 2016.
Year | Team | Games | Tackles | TFL | Sacks | QB Hits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2016 | Cowboys | 16 | 23 | 5 | 5 | 13 |
2017 | Cowboys | 16 | 22 | 4 | 2.5 | 9 |
2018 | Cowboys | 13 | 19 | 5 | 3 | 8 |
2019 | Cowboys | 16 | 20 | 6 | 4 | 10 |
2020 | Raiders | 12 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
2021 | Texans | 15 | 29 | 9 | 2.5 | 7 |
2022 | Texans | 15 | 37 | 9 | 3.5 | 10 |
2023 | Texans | 16 | 41 | 8 | 5 | 18 |
Collins, 6-foot-2 and 310 pounds, has an underappreciated pass-rushing capability and seemed to thrive under former Niners defensive coordinator, now-Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans last year with a career-best mark in tackles, sacks and quarterback hits.
That's a boost. But, will Collins positively impact San Francisco's run defense with Armstead now out of the picture?
Will Maliek Collins boost 49ers run defense, or is he a liability?
Collins signifies a philosophical shift back to the 49ers' 1-technique tackles being short and squatty, and his increase in tackles for a loss the last three years suggests he's hit his stride and can get into opponents' backfields on a consistent basis.
While it's certainly not the end-all, be-all of evaluations, Pro Football Focus never viewed Collins as a solid run-stopper, giving him a measly 45.6 run-defense grade a year ago and never rewarding him with a grade above 61.8 in a season over his entire career.
If Collins thrives, it may likely be due to the Niners boasting a plethora of D-line talent around him, including playing alongside edge Nick Bosa and fellow defensive tackle Javon Hargrave.
That said, Collins may struggle to adjust to San Francisco's wide-9 alignment, forcing him to take on bigger gap responsibility against interior rushes.
For the 49ers' sake, the former scenario is far more ideal.
Read more from Niner Noise
feed