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The 49ers' Biggest Remaining Roster Holes Following the NFL Draft

The 49ers might have to spend multiple picks on offensive linemen next year.
Grant Cohn|
Sep 9, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers offensive tackle Trent Williams (71) blocks New York Jets defensive end Takkarist McKinley (93) in the first quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images
Sep 9, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers offensive tackle Trent Williams (71) blocks New York Jets defensive end Takkarist McKinley (93) in the first quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images | David Gonzales-Imagn Images

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San Francisco 49ers

With 11 picks in the 2025 NFL Draft, the 49ers tried their best to fill all their roster holes after losing nine starters during free agency.

But despite their best efforts to address everything, the 49ers still have holes on their offensive line at defensive tackle according to Sports Illustrated's Matt Verderame and Gilberto Manzano.

"The 49ers did their best to replace all the defensive starters they lost in free agency," writes Sports Illustrated. "Their first five draft picks were spent on defense, including No. 11 pick Mykel Williams, who will be Nick Bosa’s new running mate. But San Francisco might be asking a lot from second-round defensive tackle Alfred Collins. The team is lacking a star player in the middle of the defensive line. With the focus on defense, the 49ers neglected their holes on the offensive line, which could cost them during the season." 

SI is correct that Collins is not a star interior pass-rusher -- he's more of a run-stuffing specialist. In addition, the 49ers spent a fourth-round pick on Indiana defensive tackle C.J. West -- another run-stuffing specialist. On third downs, it's unclear if either player will be on the field.

The 49ers could move first-round pick Myke Williams from defensive end to defensive tackle on passing downs and let him use his quickness and athleticism to beat guards one-on-one. At this stage of his career, he might match up better against guards than tackles.

So the defensive line shouldn't be a big issue. The offensive line is another story.

It's objectively worse than it was last season when it wasn't good. Left guard Aaron Banks signed with the Packers for $19 million per season and the 49ers signed Ben Bartch for $1.1 million to replace him.

In addition, Trent Williams will turn 37 in July.

The 49ers might have to spend multiple picks on offensive linemen next year.

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Grant Cohn
GRANT COHN

Grant Cohn has covered the San Francisco 49ers daily since 2011. He spent the first nine years of his career with the Santa Rosa Press Democrat where he wrote the Inside the 49ers blog and covered famous coaches and athletes such as Jim Harbaugh, Colin Kaepernick and Patrick Willis. In 2012, Inside the 49ers won Sports Blog of the Year from the Peninsula Press Club. In 2020, Cohn joined FanNation and began writing All49ers. In addition, he created a YouTube channel which has become the go-to place on YouTube to consume 49ers content. Cohn's channel typically generates roughly 3.5 million viewers per month, while the 49ers' official YouTube channel generates roughly 1.5 million viewers per month. Cohn live streams almost every day and posts videos hourly during the football season. Cohn is committed to asking the questions that 49ers fans want answered, and providing the most honest and interactive coverage in the country. His loyalty is to the reader and the viewer, not the team or any player or coach. Cohn is a new-age multimedia journalist with an old-school mentality, because his father is Lowell Cohn, the legendary sports columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle from 1979 to 1993. The two have a live podcast every Tuesday. Grant Cohn grew up in Oakland and studied English Literature at UCLA from 2006 to 2010. He currently lives in Oakland with his wife.

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