The San Francisco 49ers significantly bolstered their defensive line during the recent offseason, strategically adding promising talent through the 2025 NFL Draft, including Mykel Williams, Alfred Collins, and CJ West, all poised to make an immediate impact within the formidable San Francisco 49ers defensive scheme.

Following an intense Saturday practice, these three NFL Rookies shared insights into their inaugural training camp experiences, highlighting the invaluable opportunity of learning from the seasoned veteran leaders on the squad, while also emphasizing the collaborative learning environment fostered among themselves. Williams articulated his appreciation, stating, “It’s been great, just getting here with all the vets, and getting to go against great talent, and also get to learn from my vets and the great players and great coaches around me. It’s been great.”

Alfred Collins, who was sidelined throughout the entire offseason program due to a calf injury, is now determined to compensate for lost time, having diligently focused on mental repetitions to sharpen his game while recovering. CJ West, meanwhile, expressed his palpable excitement for full-contact play, remarking, “I could not wait for real football. As a Defensive Lineman, that’s what you play the game for—the violence and the physicality of the game. We were able to finally put the pads on and get out to it—that’s what I was most excited for.”

A rare advantage for these young defensive linemen is the chance to train alongside Nick Bosa, one of the league’s preeminent pass rushers and a cornerstone of the 49ers’ defense. Williams specifically noted Bosa’s profound impact, stating, “I took a lot in from Nick. He’s been a great help for me, especially in the pass rushing and hand uses game. I definitely took tools from that. And then, just watching him practice, just looking at his mentality as he practiced. That’s something I definitely picked up on.”

Williams’ inherent versatility, allowing him to excel in both interior and edge rush positions, grants the San Francisco 49ers significant strategic flexibility in deploying him across various roles even in his rookie season. He confidently asserted his comfort with this dual capability, explaining, “I’m extremely comfortable rushing inside and out. That’s something that I did in the past at Georgia, and I’m continuously doing it right now, and I don’t feel discomfort in it.” He further elaborated on the tactical differences, noting, “Just like in football, things happen faster in the middle than they do on the edge, so you’ve gotta speed your hands and your feet up.”

While West is primarily concentrating on interior line play, he remains keenly observant of Bosa’s techniques and overall approach, emphasizing the continuous learning process. Collins further elaborated on the crucial role of peer collaboration among the rookie defensive linemen, highlighting their collective effort to navigate the demanding transition to the NFL by sharing insights and clarifying confusions, stating, “We have a question, we always just talk to each other. We’re always just talking to each other… it might help me remember. So, we always just [collaborate] and stuff like that. I feel like that really helps.”

From the moment CJ West was drafted, immediate comparisons emerged to former 49ers DJ Jones, a defensive tackle who previously thrived within San Francisco’s defensive scheme before his tenure with the Denver Broncos. West is well aware of these significant comparisons, acknowledging their personal meaning given Jones was a player he had studied intently during his collegiate career. He remarked, “Then, when I got drafted here, I was like, ‘Oh, man, I really got to dive deep into it because he was really successful in this scheme. And under [defensive line coach] Kris [Kocurek], he did really well.”

In a lighthearted anecdote from earlier in training camp, star left tackle Trent Williams revealed that Mykel Williams had playfully requested to borrow his private Gulfstream jet for an offseason excursion to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Given that Trent was also headed to the same destination concurrently, the two new teammates serendipitously spent some time together during the trip, fostering an early bond.