49ers exec sees 'untapped upside' in rookie defensive lineman

USA Today

24-05-2025

49ers exec sees 'untapped upside' in rookie defensive lineman
After using their first four picks in the 2025 NFL draft on Georgia edge rusher Mykel Williams (No. 11 overall), Texas defensive lineman Alfred Collins (No. 43), Oklahoma State linebacker Nick Martin (No. 75) and Western Kentucky cornerback Upton Stout (No. 100), the San Francisco 49ers ended their run on defensive draft picks by taking Indiana defensive lineman CJ West in the fourth round.
West, 22, was a three-star recruit at Nazareth Academy in La Grange Park, Illinois before committing to Kent State for the 2020 season. In four years with the Golden Flashes, he earned All-MAC honors once and recorded 110 tackles (19 for a loss), seven sacks, one pass defensed, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery in 39 games played.
This past year, West transferred to Indiana and finished the year with 40 tackles (eight for a loss), two sacks, one pass defensed, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.
San Francisco clearly put forth a concerted effort to improve their defensive front by adding three talented, young players in the first four rounds of the draft, but they're expected West to outperform his draft position.
'He's someone we think still has a lot of untapped upside,' 49ers director of player personnel Tariq Ahmad told The Athletic's Matt Barrows earlier this week. 'He's someone we're going to have to teach how to get off the ball the way we get off the ball. He is a powerful, heavy guy. He's got twitch, he's got short area movement, he's got instincts.'
West measured in a 6-foot-1 and 316 pounds at the NFL Scouting Combine. He also showed off his speed with a 4.95-second 40-yard dash and his explosive base with a 33-inch vertical jump.
The former Hoosier impressed at this year's East-West Shrine Bowl leading up to the draft, and his performance their caught San Francisco's eye.
'We really felt his size and his quickness while he was there,' Ahmad said. 'And he was a great interview.'
West will likely start his rookie campaign as a rotational piece on the defensive line, but if he shows out in training camp, he could start to earn more opportunities and could even push out one of Jordan Elliott or Kevin Givens for a starting spot alongside Collins.
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