Meet the 49ers undrafted rookie (with a superhero nickname) pushing for a roster spot
'The very first time I ever saw the kid, he was probably 235 pounds,' Montana State defensive coordinator Shawn Howe said in a telephone interview. 'I just watched him do a couple drills, and I said, 'That's the future of the three-tech position here at Montana State.''
Valdez already had the frame, twitchiness and tenacity. Now, 66 pounds of muscle later, he has a real shot of cracking the 49ers' 53-man roster.
Valdez smiled when he heard the Niners' veteran offensive linemen call him 'Hulk.' It's not the first time he has heard the nickname as he has tried to push himself to the NFL. The 6-foot-3, 301-pounder was undrafted out of Washington — after making a tough decision to transfer from Montana State — but has turned some pretty important heads.
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Coach Kyle Shanahan said Valdez was the player who 'flashed the most' in Saturday's preseason opener against the Denver Broncos. 'He's been flashing a lot in practice,' Shanahan added. 'He's been a problem in one-on-ones, and it looked like he played the run well today.
'When our (offensive line) coach talks about him in practice, that means he's doing some stuff, and it was good to see it carry over to the game today.'
Flashes from the rookie ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/0iQ1iDePb9
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) August 10, 2025
The block of granite had half a sack and a tackle for loss against the Broncos and, just like in college, opened up things for his teammates.
'It was a good time … it was super fun,' Valdez said. 'I wasn't nervous at all. I am just going out there trying to execute to the best of my ability and do what I'm told.'
Smash. Hulk, smash.
Valdez benched pressed 225 pounds 34 times at his pro day at Washington. Now, he is stacking up good days at training camp.
'When he gets opportunities against the first(-team) O-line … as he keeps proving that he's better than what he's going against, he'll get chances to go against better competition,' defensive coordinator Robert Saleh said after practice Tuesday. 'From there, if he continues, then he'll continue his rise. He still has a lot of time to prove that he can make it.'
Valdez had his choice of teams as an undrafted free agent, and he thought the 49ers and Saleh were the best fit.
'I think the scheme fit me the best,' he said. 'The 49ers are known to be a very dominant front, and when you look at tape from them, you want to be part of that team, and you want to be a part of that scheme.'
The 49ers have had some injuries on the defensive line, which has opened the door for Valdez — just like it did at Montana State. He had started hitting the weight room hard at Monte Vista High near San Diego, and was a strong 235 pounds when Howe first noticed him. The plan was for Valdez to build his weight up gradually, but Valdez was forced to play because of injuries in his first year in 2021.
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After that, there was no stopping him.
''He would eat, go work out, then go eat and then come back, and you'd see him in there rolling out his whole body, stretching, stretching with bands,' Howe said. 'He didn't just get bigger. He got faster, twitchier, more flexible.'
Montana State used a 'cheetah' package, designed for four defensive ends, on passing downs … but Valdez never came off the field.
'Every week, I would walk across the field, and somebody would shake my hand and say, 'We just can't block 95,'' Howe said.
Though he didn't have huge stats — 12 sacks total from 2021-23, Valdez helped the Bobcats lead the FCS in sacks in 2023.
'I figured then that I could really be a special player, and props to my college coach, Sean Howe, for really believing me and crafting me into the player that I am,' Valdez said. 'There have been moments of doubt, and my first day here with the 49ers was a little overwhelming.
'But I know I can overcome anything, and I know I'm an NFL player at heart.'
Howe knew it as well. He called Valdez after the Broncos game to tell him how proud he was. The two remain close even after Valdez transferred to Washington for a chance to get back to the West Coast (not to mention a wad of cash and a car).
'It was brutal,' Howe said of Valdez transferring. 'It was tough because he's so loved by his teammates and coaches, right? And we developed this dude. He was our guy.
'But he has such great character. He told me he was just going to look at the one school and ignored the other big schools who were offering more money. … I just think the way he dealt with the process was very, very mature and very well thought out.'
Before he left, Valdez made Howe a promise: That he would give Howe his NFL jersey one day — just like he had seen current Chicago Bears linebacker Daniel Hardy once do.
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'I'm working my butt off, and as soon as I make this team, I'll have a jersey coming his way to put on his wall,' Valdez said.
• Left guard Ben Bartch appeared to injure his right arm on a running play early in Tuesday's team period. He was replaced by seventh-round rookie Connor Colby, who held up well in Saturday's game. Nick Zakelj practiced at right guard with the second-team unit and got some repetitions at center with the third team.
• Receiver Jacob Cowing was back at practice, his first session since injuring his hamstring on the first day of training camp. Cowing also served as punt returner alongside rookie Junior Bergen. As far as receivers, Tuesday's standout was veteran Robbie Chosen, who caught two long passes from Mac Jones, including one for a would-be touchdown. George Kittle, meanwhile, caught two deep passes from Brock Purdy.
• The highlight of the day: a touchdown catch by right guard Dominick Puni. It came during a red zone sequence in which Purdy's pass to Kyle Juszczyk was tipped in the air. Puni, who'd been barrelling down the line of scrimmage, collected the ball and ran into the left side of the end zone, sparking a loud celebration from his fellow offensive linemen.
• Nick Bosa had a rest day, highlighting the team's shortage of defensive ends. With Bosa, Mykel Williams (knee), Sam Okuayinonu (groin), Robert Beal Jr. (groin) and Yetur Gross-Matos (ankle) out, Bryce Huff and Jonathan Garvin got the lion's share of snaps at the position.
• Rookie nickelback Upton Stout (calf) worked out on a side field. The 49ers are hoping he can take part in Thursday's joint practice with the Las Vegas Raiders.
• Jake Moody was 7 of 7 on field goal attempts Tuesday, with the last two from 50 yards or longer.
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