The San Francisco 49ers were in a rare category (if not a category all their own) during the 2025 NFL Draft, They made zero trades, as they simply stayed where they were and made all 11 of their picks to add to a roster depleted by free agency.
The Niners' first five picks were all on the defensive side of the ball, starting with Georgia edge rusher Mykel Williams at No. 11 overall and ending with defensive tackle CJ West with their first pick of the fourth round (No. 113 overall). Defensive tackle Alfred Collins (second round, No. 43 overall) and linebacker Nick Martin (third round, No. 75 overall) will also fortify a front seven that needed a dual injection of talent and youth, with cornerback Upton Stout (third round, No. 100 overall) a feisty defender despite being undersized.
Coordinator Robert Saleh has to be pretty happy with all the new pieces he has as he tries to fix the 49ers' defense again.
PFF finds a way to praise what the 49ers did in the 2025 NFL Draft
Draft grades before any of the players have even participated in an NFL practice are always foolish. But they always come in droves right after every draft is over, and Pro Football Focus gave the 49ers a league-worst "D-grade" for their draft haul this year.
Circling back with some focused hindsight, PFF's Mason Cameron called the 49ers' run defense one of the most improved units in the league after the 2025 draft:
"While the 49ers may not have been widely praised following their draft, they entered with a clear goal: to address a deficiency in quality run defenders, and they attacked it. Of San Francisco’s six defensive picks, five earned PFF run-defense grades above 80.0 in 2024."
"After the 49ers defensive line ranked 26th in PFF run-defense grade (46.9), Robert Saleh knew the unit needed an overhaul. The team selected Mykel Williams, Alfred Collins, and CJ West to beef up the trenches. Williams and Collins bring the length and versatility to make this front a problem to game-plan against, while West adds mass and energy to disrupt the A-gaps."
"Despite some concerns in coverage, the 49ers get a pair of physical nickel defenders in Upton Stout and Marques Sigle, each of whom posted a run-defense grade above 85.0 this past season."
The 49ers' run defense can't be a whole lot worse than it was last year, so noting how it's "improved" after the draft lands with a level of faint praise and automatic expectation.
That said, a strong effort was made to fix it in the draft, and PFF couldn't ignore it.