A San Francisco 49ers coach explains why the team isn’t concerned about the 6-foot-5 rookie’s slow start to training camp.
Week 1 of the 2025 NFL season is right around the corner, and with training camp underway, rookies across the league are looking to make a good impression on their coaches.
However, San Francisco 49ers’ second-round pick, Alfred Collins, is having difficulty getting up to speed with what will be expected of him at the NFL level. Nonetheless, 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh isn’t ringing the alarm bell yet on the 23-year-old defensive tackle.
“He’s coming along,” Saleh said on Saturday while speaking to the media (h/t The Athletic). “He missed all of (offseason workouts), not to make excuses for the young man, but he did. It was with a (calf) injury, so it wasn’t like he was doing D-line drills. He was just trying to get up to speed.
“So, he’s behind the eight ball, but he’s working hard. Love the way he’s approaching every day, and he’ll catch up. He’s a big body with good feet. Those are things you can’t teach.”
After spending five seasons at the University of Texas, Collins will look to become a cog in San Francisco’s defensive line. Collins recorded 141 tackles and seven sacks in college, and after selecting him in the second round, the 49ers want that production to translate over to the NFL.
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When the 49ers selected him 43rd overall, he made it clear that he intends to be part of the group that stops the run and prides himself on being a run-stopping specialist.
“The run will be stopped... They're getting a run stopper for sure,” Collins said after being drafted by San Francisco (h/t 49ers.com). “Just great pad level, elite hands, great feet, play recognition to know what block is coming to you and then just getting off of blocks, doing your job at a high level.”
Saleh and Co. probably believe that this issue is a minor inconvenience after not being part of the team’s offseason workouts. It’s vital that Collins eventually gets up to speed with playing at the NFL level because the 49ers need his run-stopping talent.
Last season, San Francisco was middle of the pack (15th) in run defense, allowing 2,118 rushing yards. As a result, the 49ers hope that Collins can be part of the solution to limiting the number of yards the opposition gets on the ground this upcoming season.
Category: Football
