SANTA CLARA — Defensive tackle C.J. West already is on the right path to make an impact for the 49ers in his rookie season.
After practice on Thursday, coach Kyle Shanahan spoke about how the young defensive lineman has been adjusting through training camp thus far. Along with fellow rookies Mykel Williams and Alfred Collins, West has been showing what he is capable of when facing off with the offensive line.
“He’s out there doing a good job,” Shanahan said of West. “Put a lot of pressure on those guys with just the lack of depth we have there with so many guys we lost. And he’s hopped in, along with Alfred and those guys.”
West had standout sets of one-on-ones on Monday and Tuesday, winning nearly every rep, including one against starting guard Dominic Puni — who appeared stunned by the rookie’s power. While those drills favor the defense, West’s ability to simply push his way into the backfield was impressive.
The defensive tackle’s low center of gravity and ability to use leverage have started to transition over to team drills as well. An elite bullrush is exactly why San Francisco chose to draft the Indiana product in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, and defensive line coach Kris Kocurek will help get the most out of the rookie.
“They are going at it each day,” Shanahan said. “They have to deal with Kris all the time and it’s been better to get pads on those guys so they can start working the bullrush. We try not to do that when we don’t have pads on. When he has the bull rush threat, he can be a problem.”
West also has given himself the advantage of reps, participating in rookie minicamp, OTAs, mandatory minicamp, and now training camp. The more practice time the rookie gets, the more he will be able to take advantage of his skillset.
“That’s what he does best,” Shanahan said of West’s power. “It starts with that, and you have to defend the bullrush all the time and then that makes his moves come alive.”
Williams also had a good showing on Thursday, returning after missing one day of practice with a minor ankle injury. The first-round draft pick is getting more comfortable within the 49ers’ defensive scheme, particularly while getting pressure on the interior of the line.
“Just watching the style of how he played in college, he’s just technical and stuff,” Shanahan said of Williams. “I thought that jumped out on his tape the most, how good he is with his hands. A lot of pass rushers coming out of college who are talented like him and just use their talent, but he’s as good with his hands as anyone I’ve seen coming out. And it’s transferred over to practice too.”
West, Williams and Collins still have a lot of work to do, but the first indications of their abilities are promising. A more honest progress report will happen when the 49ers host the Denver Broncos for a joint practice in a week in Santa Clara and all eyes will be on the young defenders.
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