The San Francisco 49ers have less than two weeks to chop their roster down to a lean 53 players, and let me tell you, one spot is already giving them a massive headache: defensive tackle. This position has been a real thorn in the Niners’ side for the last three seasons, despite them throwing significant resources at it. Now, with Super Bowl aspirations looming, the fight for those precious roster spots is getting tougher than ever, especially on the defensive line.
New Blood Is Balling Out, Making Life Tough For The Niners
Here’s the wild part: there’s actually real optimism this year, but it’s creating a total logjam. The Niners went out and traded for Osa Odighizuwa, a legit interior pass rusher. But it’s the new faces who are really shaking things up. Fourth-round pick Gracen Halton exploded in their preseason opener against the Tennessee Titans, registering a sack where he absolutely blew past veteran guard Peter Skoronski. Not too shabby for a rookie, right? Then you’ve got undrafted free agent Bryson Eason, who also caught eyes against the Titans with his stellar play against the run. Plus, Sebastian Valdez, a UDFA from last year who spent 2025 on the practice squad, is making a serious claim, piling up five tackles, including one for a loss. These guys are stepping up in a huge way!
Injury & Underperformance Stirring The Pot Even More
While the new guys are shining, some of the more established players are struggling or dealing with setbacks. Last year’s second-round pick Alfred Collins hasn’t exactly lit it up, and 2025 fourth-round pick C.J. West has been sidelined with an unspecified injury. When defensive coordinator Raheem Morris was asked about West recently, he couldn’t hide how difficult the whole situation is. Morris talked about West’s growth, saying, “He’s done some really good things. C.J. ultimately coming here, let’s be honest, he came in, he’s seen a big-time run stopper and a guy that can really hold up, particularly towards the end of the season to do some things in that nose tackle position, so to speak. And then when I got here, I seen he had more quickness than he had when he first got here, and he’s gotten better and better throughout the process.” Morris added that West’s ability “to spike and do different movements to get to the backfield and cause pass rush and cause disruption” has been impressive, whether it’s against the first team or second. Despite a “little, small setback” of missing a couple of days, West is back in the mix, and Morris is “really fired up to see where he goes from here.” Still, with all this talent, Morris admitted the fight for places on the depth chart is getting “harder and harder” to judge.
The Titans edged out the 49ers 19-13 in that preseason game, but the real fireworks are happening behind the scenes. With their NFC West ambitions and Super Bowl dreams on the line, these defensive tackle decisions are gonna be absolutely brutal. The final 53-man roster reveal is coming in under two weeks. Who makes the cut? Who gets left out in the cold? Get ready, because it’s about to get real.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Niners Nation.
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