The exodus of defensive talent the San Francisco 49ers had in 2025 free agency ripped the band-aid off and brought a youth movement that was coming soon anyway. Their first five draft picks were defensive players, as expected, and all five are lined up for significant roles right away.
The selection of Oklahoma State linebacker Nick Martin in the third round (No. 75 overall) was seen as a reach or a big gamble by some, rooted in him coming off an MCL injury last season, being undersized (6-foot, 221 pounds) and being projected as an early Day 3 pick.
But there's something to be said for honing in on and getting the guys you covet in the draft, and Martin should be allowed some time to prove the 49ers right. With Dee Winters as his primary competition, Martin as a good chance to replace the departed Dre Greenlaw as the starter next to Fred Warner. Learning from and playing next to Warner will be very beneficial to him.
Nick Martin offered up as later-round rookie who could make instant impact
ESPN's Field Yates recently ranked the top-10 2025 rookies who were not first-round picks but he sees as possibly making a big immediate impact. On the defensive side, Martin came in at No. 5.
"The 49ers entered the draft with a need at one starting linebacker spot after Dre Greenlaw left in free agency, and Martin can fill it. He lacks ideal size at 6-foot and 221 pounds, but he makes up for it with electric speed and a fearless nature on every snap. Martin showed legitimate pass-rush instincts in 2023, too, with six sacks. And while he was injured for most of 2024, his 140 tackles in 2023 were the most by any Oklahoma State player since 1984."
The aforementioned knee injury limited Martin to just five games last season, but he was quite productive when he played (47 total tackles, eight tackles for loss, one sack) with nine pressures on 27 pass rush snaps according to Pro Football Focus. In 2023, he had 140 total tackles with 16 tackles for loss, six sacks and 30 pressures on 98 pass rush snaps.
Some players are able to defy their perceived physical limitations with intangible attributes not everyone has. You don't accumulate the numbers Martin did over his last two years in college without some natural nose for being around the ball. His prowess as a pass rusher also feels like an ideal fit for the 49ers, as Robert Saleh likely continues a tendency to send the linebacker playing next to Warner on blitzes quite a bit.
First-round pick Mykel Williams, rightfully so, will get more attention. But Martin has a path to being just as, if not more, impactful among 49ers' defensive rookies this year.
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