The 49ers took three defensive linemen in the first four rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft, including first-round EDGE Mykel Williams, second-round DT Alfred Collins (No. 43), and fourth-round DT CJ West. San Francisco DC Robert Saleh said it’s important to have rookies contribute early and hopes they can quickly get acclimated to the NFL.
“I think of all the major sports, the NFL relies on rookies more than any of them,” Saleh said, via Nick Wagoner of ESPN. “You come in, and it’s like throw your kiddo in the water and just go swim. Those rookies, they’re going to make mistakes. The hope is that they can acclimate well enough where they don’t make the same mistake twice … But you throw them in.”
Saleh called Williams a “three-way player” and can see glimpses of a “special” defensive lineman in practice.
“He’s a three-way player,” Saleh said. “He can run around you, he can run through you, he can counter, he’s showing all of it off. He still has a long way to go. He’s going to be a good football player in this league. It may not come this year, but you could see it through practice that this kid, once he gets it, it’s going to be special.”
Saleh said Collins has good intangibles and can see him eventually making an impact.
“He’s a big body with good feet,” Saleh said. “Those are things you can’t teach. It’s just a matter of time before he gets his legs underneath him and he starts to make more of an impact. That’s visible.”
Rams HC Sean McVay named three different offensive tackles who could step up and replace LT Alaric Jackson, who is currently dealing with blood clots in his leg.
“Yeah, we’re still evaluating that,” McVay said, via Pro Football Talk. “I think it’s been really good. I think D.J. Humphries has come in and done a really good job. I’ve been really impressed with Warren McClendon. He’s done an excellent job at right tackle and I think he’s shown that he’s capable of playing at left. David Quesenberry is another guy that’s really been able to show he’s a really good player in this league for a long time. He can play the right or the left spot. It’s a good thing to be able to have that kind of depth, but we’ll continuously evaluate. I’ve been pleased with those three guys. I think D.J. has really played his best ball as of late, which has been cool to see.”
Seahawks QB Jalen Milroe had a good first preseason game, drawing praise from HC Mike Macdonald and noting that his first NFL game was a dream come true.
“I thought Jalen played well. I thought he made good decisions,” Macdonald said, via Pro Football Talk. *“Operation-wise, there are some things we want to be a little cleaner on. Throwing the ball accurately, throwing it on time, and then, when it wasn’t...