Pro Football Focus dropped a truth bomb for the San Francisco 49ers: their biggest headache heading into the 2026 season is the “misses” along that defensive line. They need way more from their first- and second-round draft picks in that unit. This isn’t just a minor issue, folks, it’s a make-or-break situation for a defense loaded with talent but struggling to absorb these kinds of duds.
Mykel Williams Gets The Benefit Of The Doubt
Mykel Williams is the guy they’re giving some slack. Last season, he clocked just 385 snaps before a season-ending injury sidelined him. His 54.7 PFF grade wasn’t blowing anyone away, and he only generated 19 pressures on 245 pass-rushing snaps. Yeah, those numbers aren’t ideal, but the Niners are setting him up for a bounce-back. They brought in proven defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa and designated pass rusher Romello Height. These moves are designed to keep Mykel on the edge for early downs, then kick him inside for obvious passing situations, which should consistently get him those juicy 1-on-1 matchups. When you look at his rookie year, among 15 rookies who played at least 20% of their team’s snaps, he was 11th in pass-rushing winning percentage at 8.8%. Not stellar, but not the worst. On running downs, Williams was a beast though. His 6.2 stop percentage and average depth of tackle of -0.1 yards? That was the ONLY negative number in his group, and the lowest among any player in a 133-snap sample size. Plus, he’s only 22, the traits are there, and he’s got the talent around him. So, yeah, he gets a pass if he starts slow.
Alfred Collins Is Running Out Of Time
Then there’s Alfred Collins. Man, this one’s tougher. He stayed healthy, logged 550 snaps, but his 35.0 PFF grade was tied for the second-lowest among 94 interior defenders playing at least 300 snaps. That’s alarming, plain and simple. Collins, who turns 25 in October, hasn’t shown any consistency to suggest he’s ready to take that next step. As a rookie, among 18 defensive tackles playing at least 20% of snaps, he was 14th in run stop rate and his average depth of tackle was 2.5 yards, the 12th lowest. The red flags kept flying in the first preseason game too, with his 14.3% missed tackle rate, the sixth-highest among rookie defensive tackles. He had a couple of flashes in Week 5 against the Rams last year, but then went nearly three months without another highlight. That one was against the Titans. The Niners need him to play up to his draft status, and unlike Williams, Collins does not get a pass if he has a slow start. The clock is ticking big time for him.
The 49ers’ defense is good, no doubt, but they can’t afford to keep whiffing on these high-value draft picks on the D-line. Mykel Williams has been given the tools and the grace period to shine, but Alfred Collins is on a short leash. If Collins can’t step up consistently, their defense, despite all its talent, is going to find itself absorbing hits it can’t afford all season long. It’s go time for these guys, especially Collins, and what they do early in the season will tell us everything.
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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