The 49ers’ interest in Vita Vea says plenty about where Alfred Collins stands right now.
San Francisco spent a second-round pick on Collins in the 2025 NFL Draft and expected him to be a difference-maker on the defensive line. Instead, his rookie season went sideways fast. Pro Football Focus ranked him 123rd out of 134 players at the position, a brutal mark for a player the team had high hopes for.
That has left the 49ers in a tricky spot. Camp has brought some encouraging noise, and coaches have offered a few votes of confidence, but the bigger question hasn’t gone away: which Collins is the real Collins? The one who struggled badly on a unit that was arguably the league’s worst at rushing the passer last season, or the one the organization believes will take a step forward?
The answer may be in how San Francisco is approaching the market. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported that Buccaneers interior lineman Vita Vea still wants a trade, even though Tampa Bay is trying to work out an extension. Multiple teams have checked in on him, including the 49ers.
That pursuit matters. If San Francisco is seriously in on Vea, it suggests the team isn’t simply waiting around to see if Collins figures it out. It also shows the 49ers know they need more up front as they try to keep pace with heavyweights like the Los Angeles Rams and the Seattle Seahawks.
The Rams, according to the source material, have already strengthened an imposing defense by adding future Hall of Famer Myles Garrett. And with legend Aaron Donald long tied to Los Angeles in talk of a possible return, the 49ers appear fully aware they’re lagging behind that standard of defensive firepower.
Of course, chasing a trade target doesn’t guarantee anything. Requests like Vea’s often end with the player staying put on a new deal, and there’s been little sign the Buccaneers are ready to give in. If that happens, San Francisco could be right back where it started.
And that would leave the 49ers leaning even harder on a group of unproven options. Collins, C.J.
West and Mykel Williams would all be asked to carry more weight, despite resumes that haven’t yet been built in the NFL. It’s a shaky bet for a team with so much established talent elsewhere on the roster, and the clock is already ticking.
In Other News...
49ers Owner Jed York Arrest Case Just Got Even More Damaging
The fallout from Jed Yorks arrest in Ohio continues to linger around the 49ers top executive, adding another unwelcome layer to a story that already had plenty of it. York, the principal owner and CEO of San Francisco, was taken into custody during an operation targeting human trafficking, and the case moved through a series of charges before reaching its final disposition in court.
What began as a prostitution charge was later amended to disorderly conduct, and York also pleaded no contest to possessing criminal tools. He was sentenced to two days in jail and fined $1,150, while $160 in cash seized during the arrest was forfeited to the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force, leaving a messy legal record attached to one of the NFLs most visible ownership figures. [Read more 🡒]
49ers May Have Found A Receiver Worth Watching For Brock Purdy
The 49ers wide receiver room has spent plenty of time lately dealing with injuries, so it makes sense that any long-range draft projection tied to that group will get some attention. In a 2027 NFL mock draft from Sports Illustrateds Gilberto Manzano, San Francisco was linked to Nick Marsh, the Indiana wideout who already has a reputation as a physical, agile target with the kind of upside that can make evaluators stop and take notice.
Marshs path has also added to the intrigue, with the former Michigan State receiver transferring to Indiana and showing the sort of traits that could make him a real problem for defenses down the line. For a 49ers team always thinking about how to keep Brock Purdy supplied with reliable options, it is the kind of name worth filing away, even if the real draft decision is still far off. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Owner Jed York Now Faces A Serious NFL Question
Jed Yorks legal case in Ohio is now moving into a different kind of scrutiny, one that could matter well beyond the courtroom. The 49ers owner was arrested in East Palestine on suspicion of engaging in prostitution, then later pleaded no contest to two misdemeanors, disorderly conduct and possession of criminal tools, in a resolution that included a short jail sentence and a fine.
Now the attention shifts to the league office, where the NFL may review the matter under its Personal Conduct Policy. For San Francisco, the issue is awkward even if it stays separate from the day-to-day football operation, because it puts one of the leagues most visible ownership figures in a position where discipline remains a real possibility. [Read more 🡒]