Robert Saleh spent five seasons building defenses in San Francisco. When he singles someone out, people listen. Speaking with NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco at the American Century Championship golf tournament in South Lake Tahoe, the former 49ers defensive coordinator and current Tennessee Titans head coach named defensive tackle Alfred Collins the biggest surprise of San Francisco’s 2025 rookie class, according to NBC Sports Bay Area.
The 49ers poured resources into their defensive front last spring. They took edge rusher Mykel Williams in the first round, Collins in the second and defensive tackle CJ West in the fourth. Williams’ rookie year got cut short by injury. West struggled to find consistent footing. Collins, though, quietly climbed.
“It’s a shame Mykel’s season got cut short. Really excited for CJ West and his development, even Alfred,” Saleh told Maiocco. “Like Alfred, I know he was a second-round pick and all, but he’s still probably the biggest surprise to me in terms of just how much better he got from training camp.”
A Rookie Season That Built Toward Something
Collins came out of Texas as a run-stuffer, not a pass rusher — someone built to hold the point of attack rather than chase quarterbacks. He finished his first NFL season with one sack, four quarterback hits, 17 tackles and four tackles for loss across 16 games. The number that mattered most, though, came in Week 5.
Facing the Los Angeles Rams in overtime, Collins forced a fumble at the goal line, a play NBC Sports Bay Area detailed at the time as the turning point in San Francisco’s win. It was the loudest moment of his rookie year, and it came in the biggest spot San Francisco had all season.
ALFRED COLLINS PUNCHES IT OUT AT THE GOAL LINE 😱pic.twitter.com/HSQqxLFcNl
— 49ers on NBCS (@NBCS49ers) October 3, 2025
The 49ers’ defensive line didn’t have a strong season by the numbers. San Francisco finished last in the league in sacks and 31st in pressure rate, a stretch made harder by season-ending injuries to Nick Bosa and Fred Warner. Saleh still helped the unit finish 11th in points allowed despite that. Collins’ individual growth, in his eyes, is separate from those team-wide struggles.
Why Saleh’s Read Carries Weight
Saleh isn’t a neutral observer. He coordinated San Francisco’s defense from 2017 to 2020, building the unit that reached Super Bowl LIV, then returned in 2025 for a second stint before Tennessee hired him as head coach this offseason. He coached Collins for the entirety of his rookie year — camp reps, meeting rooms, all of it.
“As the season went on, I really think he’s going to be special,” Saleh said. “His mindset to get better, his work ethic, he’s only going to get better. And when it triggers for him, he’s going to be a bear to stop.”
That’s an analyst’s read on projection, not a confirmed outcome — Saleh is speaking from familiarity with Collins’ work habits, not making a guarantee. But it lines up with how the 49ers have built around him this offseason.
What It Means for San Francisco’s Defensive Line in 2026
San Francisco didn’t chase a marquee name to fix its pass rush this offseason. Instead, the team added interior disruptor Osa Odighizuwa and drafted Gracen Halton in the fourth round, moves that read less like a total overhaul and more like reinforcement around players the coaching staff already believes in.
Collins now enters his second season under new defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, expected to start alongside Odighizuwa on the interior. West, despite a rough rookie stat line, still drew praise from Saleh for his development and figures to hold a rotational role. Williams, healthy again, is the wild card — the most talented of the three on paper, with the least proven track record because of the injury.
| Player | 2025 Draft Round | 2025 Rookie Season | 2026 Outlook |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alfred Collins | 2nd | 1 sack, 4 QB hits, 17 tackles, 4 TFL in 16 games | Projected starter, interior DT |
| Mykel Williams | 1st | Season cut short by injury | Expected to return healthy |
| CJ West | 4th | Limited statistical impact | Rotational role |
None of this is a finished product. Saleh’s comments are a coach’s assessment from outside the building now, not a team announcement, and San Francisco’s defensive line still has to prove it can generate consistent pressure in games that count. But the 49ers’ offseason moves and Saleh’s read on Collins point the same direction — the front office likes what it already has enough to build around it rather than replace it.
