49ers Select Oklahoma State LB in Third Round of NFL Draft
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The first Cowboy is off the board in the 2025 NFL Draft.
On Friday night, the San Francisco 49ers picked OSU linebacker Nick Martin with the 75th pick of the NFL Draft. After OSU went through the first two rounds without a selection, Martin became the Cowboys’ first representative in the draft midway through the third round.
Martin was a dominant player throughout his time in Stillwater and was key to almost all of the success OSU saw defensively over the past couple of seasons. Martin had his best season as a Cowboy in 2023, when he finished the year as one of the top tacklers in the entire country.
In his 2023 campaign, Martin had 140 total tackles, which led the Big 12 and placed him sixth among all FBS players. He also had 83 solo tackles that season, again finishing first in the Big 12 and placing him among the top three in the nation in that stat.
In 2023, Martin also added 16 tackles for loss, six sacks and two interceptions. He also had a forced fumble and fumble recovery in his third season with OSU.
After his dominant 2023 season, Martin had plenty of hype coming into 2024. Forming an elite linebacker duo alongside Collin Oliver, Martin was expected to help the Cowboys reach the Big 12 Championship and potentially the College Football Playoff.
However, Martin’s season was derailed early. Before suffering a season-ending knee injury only five games into the season, Martin was on track for another dominant year. Through the first month, Martin had 47 tackles, eight tackles for loss and a sack.
Before his breakout year in 2023, Martin played in limited action, picking up only 16 tackles across his first two years. Despite his limited experience on the field, the Cowboys had no issues putting him in a prime position to succeed.
Martin ended his OSU career earlier than he had hoped due to an injury, but he should have no issues making big contributions at the next level. If his time in Stillwater is any indication of what he’s capable of, Martin could have a long and successful NFL career.
Ivan is a sports media student at Oklahoma State University. He has covered OSU athletics since 2022 and also covers the OKC Thunder for Inside The Thunder and Thunderous Intentions.