The San Francisco 49ers are still sorting through the Brandon Aiyuk situation, but the bigger offseason buzz right now is on the other side of the ball. With the 2026 NFL season less than two months away, one young defender is starting to draw real attention as a possible breakout name: defensive tackle Alfred Collins.
Matt Barrows of The Athletic pointed to Collins as a player who could make a jump in his second year. As Barrows put it, “The 49ers were encouraged by the big man’s rookie campaign, which while not spectacular, did include nearly 500 snaps (and) four quarterback hits… This year he’ll be paired with veteran Osa Odighizuwa, creating a pick-your-poison situation for opposing offensive lines. The 49ers need both Collins and fellow 2025 draft pick Mykel Williams to take big steps forward in their second seasons,”
That pairing with Odighizuwa is the part that stands out. If Collins builds on what he showed as a rookie, the 49ers could have a defensive front that forces offenses to choose their problems one at a time.
San Francisco is trying to move forward after another injury-heavy season in 2025. Fred Warner was among the key players who dealt with health issues, and the team still managed to reach the playoffs and beat the Philadelphia Eagles on the road before falling to the eventual Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks in the divisional round.
Now the focus shifts to growth. Collins and Williams are two of the young players the 49ers are counting on, and the hope is that a healthier season will help the whole group take a step.
The 49ers open the year on September 10 with a road game against the Los Angeles Rams in prime time.
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That matters in San Francisco because Williams availability has been an issue for years, with at least one missed start in every season since 2020. Pleasants also comes at minimal cost, sitting on a veteran minimum deal with no guaranteed money, which gives the team flexibility but also underscores how thin the margin is if the 49ers are forced to lean on that spot again. [Read more 🡒]