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Zero 49ers Place in PFF's Top 32 Interior Defensive Linemen Ranking

The 49ers overhauled the interior of their defensive line this offseason.
Grant Cohn|
Oct 6, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers defensive tackles Sam Okuayinonu (left) and Jordan Elliott (92) talk during the first quarter against the Arizona Cardinals at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
Oct 6, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers defensive tackles Sam Okuayinonu (left) and Jordan Elliott (92) talk during the first quarter against the Arizona Cardinals at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

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San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers overhauled the interior of their defensive line this offseason.

They got rid of Javon Hargrave, Maliek Collins and replaced them with two rookies -- Alfred Collins and C.J. West. In addition, the 49ers retained veterans Jordan Elliott and Kevin Givens.

If Collins and West develop quickly the 49ers should be fine at defensive tackle. But Collins currently has a calf injury and has missed rookie minicamp and the first Week of OTAs, and West is a fourth-round pick. He has much to prove.

And that's a big reason why none of the 49ers defensive tackles place in Pro Football Focus' top 32 ranking for 2025.

DeForest Buckner ranks No. 8. The 49ers traded him to the Colts five years ago, and that trade remains one of the biggest mistakes of the Kyle Shanahan Era. He was just entering his prime when they dealt him. And in return, they got a draft pick which they used to take Javon Kinlaw, who also isn't on the team anymore.

In addition, Arik Armstead ranks 23rd on this list. The 49ers released him last year because they thought he was close to the end of his career. Apparently, they misjudged.

Finally, Javon Hargrave ranks 30th on this list. Hargrave never was a good fit in the 49ers' Wide 9 defense, but he should make a big impact in the Vikings' five-man front next season.

Until the 49ers' youngsters assert themselves, defensive tackle arguably is the worst position on the team.

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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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