Calais Campbell would be the veteran in the defensive tackle room to help the rookies flourish
The San Francisco 49ers have one veteran defensive tackle on the roster: Jordan Elliott. His contract expires after the 2025 regular season. Elliott played 440 defensive snaps for the Niners last season but was underwhelming during most of his time on the field.
After releasing their starting defensive tackles from last season for salary cap purposes, the Niners head into the NFL Draft with glaring holes at the position. San Francisco figures to use multiple picks in the draft at defensive tackle, but that is arguably the most difficult position when transitioning from college to the NFL.
Michigan’s Mason Graham will go from facing Fresno State, Arkansas State, Minnesota, and Indiana to the best of the best, and players who do this at a high level for a living won’t be working at a desk a year from now. And that goes for the majority of the top prospects. There is an adjustment period that must be accounted for.
The Niners’ focus should be to get off the field defensively. By doing that, you must stop the run. Elliott and Evan Anderson are the “run stoppers” on the team, but those players shouldn’t prevent San Francisco from pursuing an established veteran.
Calais Campbell, who turns 39 when the season begins, looks like a player closer to 30 than 40. PFF graded Campbell as the seventh-best defensive lineman in the NFL in 2024. Watching his effort in meaningless games was a joy to watch.
Campbell has not missed a game in the previous two seasons. He played 58 percent of the snaps in Miami last year. He is also versatile enough to line up at multiple spots. Campbell played 237 snaps on the edge and 349 at defensive tackle — giving Robert Saleh the flexibility if he needs a run stopper at a specific spot.
Campbell was ultra-productive last season. Despite playing a little more than part-time, he finished 14th in the NFL among all defensive linemen in run stops. Next Gen Stats credited Campbell with 44 stops, which was the same number as Myles Garrett, who you may have heard of.
When we think about what the Niners need and how Campbell could only help the young players on the roster, signing him to a veteran minimum deal makes sense for all parties involved. Campbell’s contract with the Dolphins was one year for $2 million. He’s an upgrade over anybody on the roster. Why wouldn’t the 49ers sign Campbell?