The Niners track record with defensive linemen isn’t great.
We’re just one day out from the 2025 NFL Draft, and there still isn’t a consensus on what the San Francisco 49ers will do with the No. 11 overall pick, with mock drafts still showing varying results.
However, with draft day coming closer and closer, it’s seeming like the 49ers are focusing on the trenches with their first pick, with defensive line being the likelier choice, given the options available.
San Francisco is in need of defensive linemen on both the interior and the edge after releasing Javon Hargrave, Maliek Collins, and Leonard Floyd this offseason.
The 49ers routinely relied on strong depth along the defensive line, which had been the core of their defense under coordinator Robert Saleh. And, they could add to that early in the draft at No. 11.
San Francisco has been touted for its defensive line play in recent years, as well as its development of defensive linemen, as they’ve gotten production from unexpected sources to bolster their rotation.
But, should they really be trusted with their defensive line development? Let’s evaluate their history.
Defensive Linemen the 49ers helped improve
San Francisco has seen some success with development with rotational pieces, such as Charles Omenihu, Jordan Willis, Kerry Hyder, Samson Ebukam, and Clelin Ferrell.
Omenihu had his breakout season in 2022, reaching seven sacks in 17 games, while ranking second on the team with 62 pressures and a pass-rush win-rate of 16.4 percent, according to Pro Football Focus.
He then proceeded to get a two-year, $20 million deal with the Kansas City Chiefs and improved even further, recording eight sacks before suffering an injury.
Willis was a rotational piece who totaled 25 pressures and 5.5 sacks across two seasons, while being a solid run defender. Hyder had a career-high 8.5 sacks in 2020 along a depleted 49ers defensive line, while having a team-high 55 pressures.
Ebukam had 95 pressures and 9.5 sacks across two seasons with the 49ers, which were his best two in the pros. But, he really broke out in 2023, reaching 9.5 sacks with the Colts after signing there in free agency.
And Ferrell had 30 pressures and 3.5 sacks, while being a solid run defender for the 49ers in 2023.
But, for the solid pickups and reclamation projects, there were also a few misses. Let’s look at San Francisco’s draft history.
Drafting Defensive Linemen
While the 49ers have seen some success with rotational players, they haven’t had as much success in the draft.
Now, star pass rusher Nick Bosa was undoubtedly a hit. But, he was also a can’t-miss prospect who would have gone No. 1 overall if quarterback Kyler Murray wasn’t a big need for the Arizona Cardinals.
Elsewhere, here’s the list of defensive linemen the 49ers have drafted since 2017:
DE Solomon Thomas (1st round in 2017)
DT D.J. Jones (6th round in 2017)
DT Kentavius Street (4th round in 2018)
DT Julian Taylor (7th round in 2018)
DT Javon Kinlaw (1st round in 2020)
DE Drake Jackson (2nd round in 2022)
DT Kalia Davis (6th round in 2022)
DE Robert Beal (5th round in 2023)
Looking at this group, there really is only one true hit out of eight possible players: Jones back in 2017.
The 49ers whiffed on Thomas, Kinlaw, and Jackson, who were all first or second-round draft picks. And they couldn’t get much (yet) out of their other draftees, who were all expected to be rotational pieces.
So, given the 49ers track record, I’m not sure that defensive line coach Kris Kocurek should be given the benefit of the doubt here when it comes to development.
And if there’s anything that analysts have said about this defensive line class, it’s the need for development.
Texas A&M’s Shemar Stewart and Georgia’s Mykel Williams didn’t have elite production in college. Georgia’s Jalon Walker is a hybrid player whose position at the next level is unclear.
Ole Miss’s Walter Nolen has all the talent, but there are character concerns. Tennessee’s James Pearce Jr. has average bend and some character concerns as well.
The 49ers very well could get their bookend defensive tackle or defensive end in the first round of this draft. But, their history and struggles drafting the position are definitely concerns heading into a crucial draft for the team’s future.