49ers' Alfred Collins: Finishes rookie year as starter
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Collins recorded 17 tackles (four solo), two forced fumbles and one sack across 16 regular season games in 2025.
Collins was asked to start early in his rookie campaign for a San Francisco squad lacking interior defensive line depth. The second-round pick didn't stand out from a statistical standpoint, but he did record the first sack of his career. Collins should be a frontrunner to start at one of tackle positions in 2026.
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49ers' CJ West: Earns first career sack
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West appeared in 14 games for the 49ers in 2025, finishing the regular season with 21 tackles (12 solo) and one sack.
The fourth-round draft pick was eased into the defensive line rotation before watching his snap count rise in the second half of the schedule. West nabbed his first career sack in Week 16 of the regular season and then went on to record another in the 49ers' divisional round loss to the Seahawks. The 23-year-old will enter his second pro season with an opportunity to compete for a starting defensive tackle position.
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49ers' Clelin Ferrell: Productive when called upon
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Ferrell finished the 2025 regular season with 24 tackles (13 solo), including 4.0 sacks, in eight games played for the 49ers.
Ferrell was one of several reserve linemen asked to fill in the big shoes left by DE Nick Bosa's season-ending knee injury. The 28-year-old Ferrell's finest performance came in Week 13 when he posted 2.0 sacks among his nine combined tackles against the Browns. The former No. 4 overall pick has shown some flashes of excellence during this brief run in San Francisco and also during his time as a starter with Washington in 2023. Ferrell -- an unrestricted free agent -- figures to draw interest this upcoming offseason from clubs who believe the defensive end is a late bloomer.
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49ers' Kalia Davis: New career high of 28 tackles
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Davis finished the 2025 regular season with 28 tackles (10 solo), including 0.5 sacks, and three passes defended across 17 games played.
The third-year lineman appeared in every game for the 49ers this season after combining for just 16 games played over his previous two years in the league. Davis finished the season as a starter while setting a new high-water mark in combined tackles with 28. The UCF product will attempt to take another step forward in the final year of his rookie contract with the 49ers in 2026.
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49ers' Jordan Elliott: One of many rotation pieces
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Elliott appeared in 16 regular-season games for the 49ers in 2025, finishing with 31 tackles (eight solo) and one pass defensed.
Elliott was one of several rotating pieces defensive coordinator Robert Saleh deployed on the interior of the defensive line in 2025. The veteran nose tackle failed to make an impact in fantasy, finishing with zero sacks for the second straight season as a member of the 49ers. Elliott is set to become an unrestricted free agent this upcoming offseason.
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49ers' Sam Okuayinonu: Another solid year as backup
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Okuayinonu finished the 2025 regular season with 39 tackles (23 solo), including 3.0 sacks, and a forced fumble across 15 active games.
Okuayinonu signed a one-year contract to return to the 49ers and serve as a backup edge rusher. The 27-year-old was afforded some extra run following DE Nick Bosa's severe knee injury early in the campaign. Okuayinonu finished with numbers similar to his solid run as a reserve in 2024, so it wouldn't be surprising to see San Francisco bring back the unrestricted free agent for a third season in 2026.
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49ers' Curtis Robinson: Role expands in injury-plagued year
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Robinson recorded 42 tackles (19 solo) with one pass defended across 14 games with the 49ers in 2025.
Fred Warner (ankle) headlined a list of injured linebackers that San Francisco was forced to play without for most of 2025. Robinson -- a career special-teamer -- took advantage of the available defensive snaps and set a new career high in combined tackles (42). The 28-year-old will become an unrestricted free agent this upcoming offseason, so Robinson will have to re-sign with his current club if he wants to spend a sixth season on the 49ers' special-teams unit.
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49ers' Marques Sigle: Fills in for injured starter
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Sigle finished the 2025 regular season with 52 tackles (28 solo) and two passes defended across 15 games with the 49ers.
The fifth-round rookie began his pro career by making five starts in place of injured safety Malik Mustapha. Sigle accrued 39 of his 52 tackles during that span, showing flashes of IDP utility. The 23-year-old figures to serve as depth behind Mustapha and Ji'Ayir Brown in 2026, especially with Jason Pinnock set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason.
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49ers' Renardo Green: Starts 14 games in 2025
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Green finished the regular season with 60 tackles (36 solo) and 10 passes defended across 14 starts with the 49ers.
Green began his sophomore campaign as a starting corner and finished with similar counting stats to his rookie season, sans the two turnovers he forced last year. The 2024 second-round pick missed the last couple games of the regular season with an ankle injury, but he was able to recover in time to make a pair of playoff appearances. Green should have an inside track on a starting role next season, assuming the 49ers do not make significant additions to a secondary that ranked in the bottom third of the league in 2025.
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49ers' Ji'Ayir Brown: Season ends with hamstring injury
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Brown (hamstring) had 76 tackles (44 solo), two interceptions and one forced fumble in 17 regular-season starts with the 49ers in 2025.
Brown turned in another solid regular-season campaign splitting time between both starting safety positions while Malik Mustapha started the campaign on the PUP list. The 25-year-old Brown suffered a hamstring injury during the 49ers' postseason run that cost him the team's final game, a road loss to the Seahawks in the divisional round. Assuming that the versatile safety is able to recover in time for training camp, Brown will enter the final year of his rookie deal with the inside track to a starting safety gig.
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49ers' Dee Winters: Racks up 101 tackles as starter
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Winters recorded 101 tackles (67 solo) and an interception in 17 regular-season games with the 49ers in 2025.
Winters took over the starting role vacated by Dre Greenlaw's departure to Denver this past offseason. The third-year linebacker played the most snaps of his career (1,010) while cracking the century mark in combined tackles for IDP managers. Fred Warner (ankle) should be ready to reclaim his spot in the middle of San Francisco's defense in 2026, and Winters' strong play has put him in prime position to start alongside Warner for the final year of his rookie contract.
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49ers' Keion White: Shot in ankle, undergoes surgery
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White was shot in the ankle early Monday morning and is expected to be OK after undergoing surgery, Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports.
Per Barrows, the shooting happened during an altercation that White is not believed to have been part of. The defensive end joined the 49ers via a trade with New England in late October and took on a significant rotational role both during the regular season and in the playoffs. White will be in the final year of his rookie contract in 2026, and while it sounds like Monday's events aren't expected to be career-threatening, it remains to be seen if the surgery he underwent will impact his availability for San Francisco's OTAs.
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49ers' Nick Bosa: Hopeful for training camp
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The 49ers are hopeful that Bosa (ACL) will be back in time for training camp ahead of the 2026 season, Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News reports.
Bosa underwent surgery to address his torn ACL in late September. The defensive end is progressing well in his recovery and is anticipated to be all set for the 2026 season. Before missing most of the 2025 campaign, Bosa logged 52 tackles (33 solo), including 9.0 sacks for one forced fumble, and one pass defensed for an interception over 14 games in the 2024 season. If the 28-year-old can set his body right, the ceiling of the 49ers' 2026 defense will surely climb.
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49ers' Eli Apple: Signs future deal with Niners
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The 49ers signed Apple to a reserve/future contract Tuesday.
Apple caught on with the 49ers on the practice squad after being released during training camp in early August. The veteran corner appeared in two regular-season games for San Francisco, logging one solo tackle while serving mostly on special teams. Under a future contract, Apple will be a member of the 49ers' 90-man roster when the offseason officially starts Feb. 9.
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49ers' Mykel Williams: Likely ready for 2026
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Williams (knee) said Tuesday that he should be 100 percent healthy for the beginning of training camp in late July, Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports.
Williams missed the final 10 games of his rookie season after tearing the ACL and lateral meniscus in his right knee during the 49ers' Week 9 win over the Giants. The 2025 first-round pick from Georgia played a minimal role during his debut campaign, recording a sack and 20 total tackles across 383 defensive snaps.
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49ers' Luke Gifford: Gearing up Saturday
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Gifford (quadriceps) will play in Saturday's divisional-round game versus the Seahawks.
Gifford missed the wild-card win over the Eagles, but he'll return to the lineup to take on the 49ers' division rival. Gifford's defensive usage varies on a week-to-week basis, but he has played more than 10 defensive snaps just once in the past seven games. The veteran linebacker will certainly have a key role on special teams, though.
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49ers' Dee Winters: Good to go Saturday
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Winters (ankle) is active for Saturday's divisional-round matchup versus the Seahawks, Briana Jeannel of the 49ers' official site reports.
Winters is healthy again after missing last week's wild-card win over the Eagles due to an ankle injury. He should resume his role as one of San Francisco's starting linebackers alongside Eric Kendricks and Luke Gifford during Saturday's game.
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49ers' Luke Gifford: Expected to return Saturday
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The 49ers expect Gifford (quadriceps) to play in Saturday's divisional-round matchup versus the Seahawks, Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports.
Gifford is seemingly healthy again after missing last week's wild-card win over the Eagles with a quadriceps injury. The 30-year-old should resume his role as a special teamer and depth defender against Seattle.
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49ers' Yetur Gross-Matos: Green light to play Saturday
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Gross-Matos (knee) does not carry an injury designation into Saturday's NFC divisional-round clash against Seattle.
Despite not practicing Thursday, Gross-Matos has progressed enough in his recovery from a knee injury to play in Saturday's playoff bout. He logged eight tackles (three solo) and one pass defense across eight regular-season games in 2025 while serving in a rotational role on the 49ers' defensive line.
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49ers' Luke Gifford: Could play in divisional round
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Gifford (quadriceps) is listed as questionable for Saturday's NFC divisional-round tilt against Seattle, John Boyle of the Seahawks' official site reports.
Gifford was unable to play in the 49ers' wild-card win against the Eagles due to a quadriceps injury. He earned himself the questionable tag for Saturday after putting together a DNP-DNP-LP practice log, and his status may not be officially known until approximately 90 minutes before the 8:00 p.m. ET kickoff, when San Francisco announces its inactive players. With Dee Winters (ankle) also questionable, Curtis Robinson and Garret Wallow could join Eric Kendricks as the 49ers' starting linebackers for the divisional round.
