While the 49ers clearly have embraced a youth movement with a handful of rookies playing significant snaps on defense, third-round draft pick Nick Martin has been noticeably absent.

San Francisco defensive coordinator Robert Saleh revealed Martin’s lack of playing time doesn’t come from a place of dissatisfaction with the rookie, but rather to allow ample time for him to earn his way while adjusting to the NFL learning curve in his first campaign.

“No, there’s no dissatisfaction,” Saleh told reporters Thursday. “There is a bit of a learning curve in terms of where he’s come from in college to what we’re asking him to do. I think he’s done a really nice job. He’s got to earn it on special teams with Dee Winters being the starter. [Luke Gifford] is a big-time special teams guy. Curtis Robinson’s a big-time special teams guy. Now you’ve got Tatum [Bethune] and Dee who are both starters. So, for him, he has had to make his way. Then obviously, Fred [Warner] was there before Fred’s injury. It’s hard to justify if you’re not the starter and you’re not owning special teams.”

Saleh did praise Martin’s recent efforts with his first opportunity on special teams, a trend that will continue after the rookie earned more burn in the third phase of the game.

“Those guys are always going to get first dibs,” Saleh said. “And [Gifford], not to speak for [special teams coordinator] Brant [Boyer], but he has been one of our top special teams guys. You’ve got to find a role and you’ve got to make it work with who the active guys are. Now that he has got a chance to be active, he had his first run on special teams, thought he did a really nice job and he’s going to get another run at it.

“Unless Dee gets hurt, God forbid that that happens because Dee’s having a hell of a season, he’s going to have to make his way on special teams this year. And if something happens to Dee, then he’ll step in and we’ll see where see how it goes.”

When Saleh was asked why other rookies on his defense have been given more of an opportunity than Martin, the defensive coordinater revealed it’s more about the players ahead of him on the depth chart than any fault of his own.

“No, that’s fair. I think it’s more a testament to Dee Winters,” Saleh said. “He’s having a hell of a year. There are a couple things that I’m sure he’d want back, but he does so many things that don’t show on the stat sheet. With regards to his play, demeanor and communication, he’s been vital for Tatum over these first couple of weeks. Just the communication with him. Dee is an NFL starting linebacker. Nick is more of a victim of that than he is of what he’s capable of.”

The 49ers selected Martin No. 75 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft, with many expecting the Oklahoma State product to fill in for the recently departed Dre Greenlaw given their comparable physical traits.

While Martin hasn’t found the same immediate success as a rookie that Greenlaw did back in 2019, it’s far too soon to write him off just yet.

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