The 49ers could have several rookies start Week 1, with competition still going on.
The San Francisco 49ers went with the quantity approach in the 2025 NFL Draft, drafting 11 players, which tied the league-high.
But, that doesn’t mean they haven’t found quality. First-round pick Mykel Williams is expected to play a big role, while third-rounder Upton Stout is projected to start at nickel cornerback. Even on Day 3, the 49ers found some players who could be hidden gems as rotational pieces.
Fourth-round pick C.J. West shone early before dealing with an injury, especially as a pass-rusher. But, the biggest surprise may have been fifth-round pick Marques Sigle, who has catapulted himself into the safety rotation.
Sigle, who played college ball at Kansas State, has constantly rotated in with the top unit during training camp, even earning starts during the preseason at safety.
After the third preseason game, he acknowledged the big learning curve and how the game is starting to slow down for him, with defensive coordinator Robert Saleh pointing out his willingness to learn.
“He’s done a really nice job,” Saleh said of Sigle. “All these rookies, if they thought preseason was fast, the regular season is about 100 times faster. So, the good news is that they’re capable and they’re willing to learn and they’re quick studies, so they’ll be fine as time goes.”
Communication has been a big growth spot for Sigle, according to Saleh, which is especially important at the safety position.
“Communication [is where he’s grown the most], ” Saleh said. “Just being on your job, being able to communicate on the sideline when something happens, to have the recall to have those conversations. It happened at practice today, we were talking about a route on how to play a certain route concept. He basically cut me off to talk about what his technique was, what he could have done better, where he was in the play, and you come back in and you watch the play really quick, and it’s like ‘alright,’ he’s recalling it.”
“He’s understanding it. He understands where his body’s at. So, there’s going to be a lot of those moments where he is like, ‘Man, I could have.’ We all trust that if he’s in the same situation he was in practice today that he’ll be in the position that he knows he should have been in. They’re all really cool in that regard.”
The fact that Sigle has been able to get up to speed as quickly as he has after missing OTAs has been impressive, as it isn’t all that common for rookies.
“Not all the time [do you see rookies pick things up that fast],” Saleh said. “Some, like I said, are quick like [Sigle] and some take a couple [of times and] will need to see it three or four times. But, he’s proven that. I mean, shoot, he missed all of OTAs, and for him to step in and do what he’s been doing has been pretty impressive.”
Now, it’s unclear if Sigle will ultimately earn the Week 1 start, with veterans Ji’Ayir Brown and Jason Pinnock also competing at the top of the room. But, the opportunity is there and it seems the rookie has been taking advantage ahead of the season.
Category: General Sports
