Ouch, Faithful.
According to ESPN’s Mike Clay, the 49ers have nothing to brag about when it comes to their defensive tackle room.
And yes, that’s considering that for years San Francisco has been characterized by its formidable defensive line, highlighted in recent deep runs in the NFL playoffs.
Now, Clay argues that there are plenty of concerns about San Francisco’s defensive tackle situation.
“Defensive tackle. I was tempted to go with the secondary, but the 49ers’ DT situation might be the worst in the league,” Clay wrote in an article published Monday.
“Maliek Collins and Javon Hargrave signed elsewhere, and the team’s only impact additions were draft picks Alfred Collins (second round) and CJ West (fourth).
“Jordan Elliott (a rotational player) tops the depth chart, and competitors Kevin Givens, Evan Anderson and Kalia Davis all played less than 30% of the team’s defensive snaps last season.”
As Clay notes, the 49ers’ problems at defensive tackle start with the fact that Hargrave and Collins departed in free agency. Hargrave was a Pro Bowler in 2024, while Collins started all 17 games for San Francisco in 2024.
San Francisco leveraged the 2025 NFL Draft to replace Hargrave and Collins, selecting Collins (43rd overall pick) and West (113th overall pick).
But even then, Clay suggests the 49ers could benefit by adding a veteran or moving some of their edge rushers inside.
“The Niners figure to add more help and/or move Yetur Gross-Matos and Sam Okuayinonu inside more often,” Clay concluded.
San Francisco, apparently, has a lot of improvements to make at defensive tackle.
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