The San Francisco 49ers‘ goal in the 2025 NFL Draft was pretty clear: fix the defensive line. Before the draft, the argument could have been made that the Niners’ only starting caliber defensive linemen was Nick Bosa. So, it was expected and made quite a bit of sense when the 49ers selected Mykel Williams in the first round, Alfred Collins in the second, and CJ West in the fourth. Williams and Collins showed tons of potential at massive programs and were the bigger names. CJ West, however, was not as talked about before the draft, but still showed a ton of potential at Indiana. Now, it’s time for him to prove himself and he aims to do just that.
CJ West Player Analysis
When asked about his biggest strengths in a post-draft interview, West responded, “I can do it everywhere, but my bread and butter is at the 1-technique. That’s where I just abuse centers, punch them in the face, be as violent as possible, just creating havoc down there in the middle.” If that quote doesn’t get you fired up, you may be watching the wrong sport; this is exactly the mentality you want in a big boy up front.
In West’s first and final year at Indiana, he demonstrated all of this. The Hoosiers’ defensive coordinator, Bryant Haines, recently appeared on Guy Haberman’s podcast and broke down West’s game: “The guy is a powerhouse. So you talk about the ability to anchor when these NFL offenses are trying to run duo at him. He’s going to take on sub-700 pounds of a double team at some point. Not everybody can hold that anchor down. I think CJ’s going to be able to. He stuffs the run man, he plays low, he plays violent.” West was a critical part of the Indiana Hoosiers’ defensive that led all of college football in run defense. And like Haines said, he was the anchor of the group.
West embodies what the 49ers want on defense: violence. And it’s not just coming from his mouth, his tape reveals the same thing. Violent hands, blowing up the A gaps, taking on double teams – he does all the dirty work.
Where CJ West Fits in
As it currently stands, the 49ers interior defensive line is made up of CJ West, Alfred Collins, Kevin Givens, Jordan Elliot, Evan Anderson, and Kalia Davis. West is a player who can immediately make an impact, especially in the run game. West stated that he sees himself as a 1 technique (DL lined up on the outside shoulder of the center) and that is likely the role we will see him mostly competing for this offseason. Both Evan Anderson and Jordan Elliot had flashes last season, but the starting spot is up for grabs.
John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan’s plan this draft was to sure up the run defense that gave up 4.4 YPC, finishing in the middle of the pack in 2024. This group may lack in pass rush skills compared to recent 49ers defenses, but the size and strength stand out, especially in the interior. Fans should expect ups and downs for this young defensive line, but one thing we are going to see is violence and power up front where CJ West will be anchoring it down.
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