Niners Nation
Over the past few offseasons, the San Francisco 49ers have looked to rely more on younger players, as they’ve let a number of veterans walk in free agency while making 19 selections in the NFL Draft the last two years.
Now, the 49ers are still quite an older team, rostering several starters who will be at least 30 years old this year: Trent Williams, Kyle Juszczyk, Jake Brendel, George Kittle, Mike Evans, Christian McCaffrey, Colton McKivitz, and Christian Kirk.
A part of the reliance on older players has also stressed the importance of developing draft picks, and the 49ers are expecting some of those recent draftees to step up this season.
The 2025 class featured a ton of players who saw ample playing time this season. Seven of the 11 draft picks played in at least seven games, with some being regular starters as well.
Looking ahead to the 2026 season, let’s look at those second-year players and see whether their stock is trending up or down ahead of the season.
DE Mykel Williams
Williams was considered one of the higher-potential players in the 2025 class. But being only 20 years old, he also was still quite raw as a player, especially as a pass rusher.
Still, there was considerable growth from the rookie throughout the 2025 season until he got hurt in Week 9 with a torn ACL. Now, the injury could hinder some of his growth throughout the offseason, but Williams is set to be in a great position to start the season.
He should be San Francisco’s starter on the edge opposite Nick Bosa and has some more help alongside him with Osa Odighizuwa now in the fold.
Verdict: Stock Up
DT Alfred Collins
Collins was one of San Francisco’s top rookie contributors, playing in 16 games last year. He had a slow start with an offseason injury, but also developed as the year went along.
Brought in to help the team’s run defense, he should very well benefit from working alongside Odighizuwa and is set to reclaim his starting spot as a second-year pro.
Verdict: Stock Up
LB Nick Martin
Martin was one of the bigger question marks from the 2025 draft class, as many evaluators believed the 49ers reached for the linebacker in the third round.
He was a non-factor for much of the year, struggling to climb up the linebacker rotation even with the amount of injuries at the position, and primarily played a role on special teams when healthy.
This offseason, the 49ers did trade Dee Winters, but brought in Dre Greenlaw, while still having Tatum Bethune, Luke Gifford, and Garrett Wallow on the roster. The 49ers also drafted Jaden Dugger in the fifth round, providing more competition in the room.
Martin has a chance to grow this offseason, but he still may not be ready to contribute outside of special teams.
Verdict: Stock Down
CB Upton Stout
Stout was one of the best stories for the 49ers in 2025, as he turned...
