SANTA CLARA \u2013 Three defensive linemen walk into a rookie minicamp \u2026<\/p>\n
But seriously, this is no joke. Here comes the 49ers\u2019 new-look, high-valued defensive linemen<\/a>:<\/p>\n \u2014 Mykell Williams<\/a>, a 6-foot-5, 267-pound defensive end<\/p>\n \u2014 Alfred Collins<\/a>, a 6-5, 332-pound nose tackle.<\/p>\n \u2014 C.J. West<\/a>, a 6-1, 318 pound defensive tackle.<\/p>\n The 49ers\u2019 drafted them in the first, second and fourth rounds, respectively, to not only fill voids on the defensive line but to form a menacing unit that follows the lead of five-time Pro Bowl defensive end Nick Bosa. The rookies arrive in town this week for minicamp.<\/p>\n \u201cI love teammate camaraderie, so I\u2019m going to just try to gel with them and form a good bond,\u201d West said on his April 26 draft day. \u00a0\u201cThat\u2019s how defensive lines work well together, when they\u2019ve got a good bond and they understand each other and have a feel for each other.\u201d<\/p>\n That was true in Bosa\u2019s rookie season, when he formed an instant connection with a talent-laden line including DeForest Buckner, Arik Armstead and Dee Ford. Kevin Givens was an undrafted rookie on that Super Bowl team, and both he and Bosa remain the only holdovers.<\/p>\n This week\u2019s rookie minicamp ignites an orientation process with four months to spare before NFL debuts are made by the 11-pick draft class, which also includes linebacker Nick Martin<\/a> (third round), nickel back Upton Stout<\/a> (third round) and safety<\/a> Marques Sigle (fifth).<\/p>\n Restocking the defensive front four became an obvious task once the 49ers released starters Leonard Floyd, Maliek Collins and Javon Hargrave. \u201cWe wanted to (draft) guys that fit our vision for what we want that room to be,\u201d Lynch said.<\/p>\n Here is how that vision looks in a few aspects:<\/p>\n THE SCHEME FIT<\/p>\n Defensive coordinator Robert Saleh returns after four seasons to oversee new players in a familiar scheme. Although the Wide-9 system proved vulnerable and predictable in recent years, the key is having the right personnel that fulfills assignments.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve been here nine years and Saleh was first to come with us. We\u2019ve changed<\/p>\n coaches a few times but our system \u2014 not just schematically, but the way we do the draft \u2013that doesn\u2019t change,\u201d said coach Kyle Shanahan, noting he \u201cbalances out\u201d input from coordinators, position coaches, and scouts when hiring new talent.<\/p>\n \u201cI played some nine at Georgia, but just to be primarily nine-tech, I\u2019m excited man. Super excited,\u201d Williams said. \u201cBecause of how well I play on edges, just being in a Wide-9 the whole game, all the time would allow me to make more plays and would allow me to just be a better player overall and have a better career.\u201d<\/p>\n While Shanahan and Lynch also pumped up Williams\u2019 ability to rush inside, that area is perhaps best left for Collins and West as they factor into a rotation with Givens and Jordan Elliott, with Evan Anderson and Kalia Davis also returning to the mix.<\/p>\n THE LEARNING CURVE<\/p>\n Williams doesn\u2019t turn 21 until June 29. West turns 23 on June 12. Collins hits 24 on Oct. 8. All have competed at college football\u2019s elite level and all are receptive to learning the NFL game.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m excited to play for Coach Saleh and play in his system and play with the great players,\u201d Williams said. \u201cAnd I\u2019m playing with Bosa, man. I can\u2019t wait to get to practice. I can\u2019t wait to get to practice. \u2026 I can\u2019t wait to learn from him, really. I\u2019ve got so many questions.\u201d<\/p>\n Added Collins: \u201cI\u2019m ready to learn from those that have done it before me. I\u2019m ready to come in and do whatever I can to win games and I\u2019m going to be a good teammate to my teammates.\u201d<\/p>\n West is especially eager to absorb what he correctly assessed as passionate coaches, not just with Saleh but defensive line coach Kris Kocurek. \u201cThat\u2019s the type of coaching style that I love. That\u2019s the type of coaching I want to be in,\u201d West said. \u201cAnd that\u2019s the program and culture that I want to be in as well. So, I\u2019m excited to get to work. I can\u2019t wait.\u201d<\/p>\n Saleh, Shanahan\u2019s first defensive coordinator from 2017-20, has yet to speak to the media since his January re-hiring, though he did offer cordial greetings to reporters at last month\u2019s local pro day on the 49ers\u2019 practice field.<\/p>\n THE SKILLSETS<\/p>\n Josh Williams, the 49ers\u2019 director of scouting and football operations, was at Georgia\u2019s game against Mississippi when he captured his first impression of Mykel Williams (no relation). \u201cPregame, that\u2019s when I really realized he\u2019s got an NFL body, he\u2019s made of the right stuff, he\u2019s serious,\u201d Josh Williams said. \u201cHe just looked like a guy who would wear our uniform and represent us the right way.\u201d<\/p>\n While Lynch complimented Williams\u2019 multiple traits \u2013 tall, long, athletic, versatile, smart, tough \u2013 Shanahan crooned over his top pick\u2019s mature look. \u201cHalf these guys coming out, I see the majority almost seem 24, 25, and we\u2019ve got a 20-year-old who looks like a man on tape,\u201d Shanahan said. \u201cBut to look like a man on tape as a 20-year-old when you\u2019re going against 25-year-olds, I think is a big difference. And I\u2019m excited to see him in the NFL five years from now when he will only be 25.\u201d<\/p>\n Lynch anticpates Collins\u2019 85-inch wing span and 35-inch arms being factors in not just tossing aside linemen but batting down passes, something the 49ers haven\u2019t done enough of in recent seasons. \u201cHe\u2019s really adept at batting balls down,\u201d Lynch said. \u201cHe\u2019s got just, I think he affects the quarterback in a big way but can be a real presence in the run game.\u201d<\/p>\n When it comes to stopping the run \u2013 something the 49ers uncharacteristically strayed from doing last season \u2013 Collins said he relies on his \u201cgreat pad level, elite hands, great feet, play recognition to know what block is coming to you and then just getting off of blocks, doing your job at a high level.\u201d<\/p>\n But the best self-description any rookie offered on draft weekend was West\u2019s: \u201cI\u2019m multiple. I can do it everywhere. But my bread and butter is at the one-technique. That\u2019s where I just abuse centers, punch \u2019em in the face, be as violent as possible, just creating havoc down there in the middle.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"SANTA CLARA \u2013 Three defensive linemen walk into a rookie minicamp \u2026 But seriously, this is no joke.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":23135,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2080],"tags":[220,2947,1926,1443,7,1921,929,6,15,1161,252,2624,2623,7910,1929,1930,9],"class_list":{"0":"post-23134","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-san-francisco-49ers","8":"tag-49ers","9":"tag-49ers-hq","10":"tag-bay-area","11":"tag-california","12":"tag-football","13":"tag-inside-sports","14":"tag-latest-headlines","15":"tag-nfl","16":"tag-nfl-draft","17":"tag-san-francisco","18":"tag-san-francisco-49ers","19":"tag-sanfrancisco","20":"tag-sanfrancisco49ers","21":"tag-santa-clara","22":"tag-santa-clara-county","23":"tag-south-bay","24":"tag-sports"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/114449677540453731","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23134","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23134"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23134\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23135"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23134"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23134"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23134"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}