The San Francisco 49ers are asking a lot from their 2025 NFL Draft rookie class.
Particularly their defensive linemen, considering three were drafted out of the Niners' first five picks last April -- Mykel Williams, Alfred Collins and C.J. West.
There'll be some growing pains for sure, but these three first-year pros might have things a bit easier when San Francisco squares off against a hated NFC West rival twice this upcoming season.
Especially because one of that rival's biggest perceived weaknesses entering 2025 plays right into what these three D-linemen are intended to do.
Seahawks' roster weakness plays right into 49ers' rookie aspirations
According to Pro Football Focus, the Seattle Seahawks' chief weakness from 2024 was their offensive line, and PFF broke down how this impacted the Hawks' offseason plans, highlighted by the Round 1 selection of North Dakota State O-lineman Grey Zabel last April:
"Seattle’s struggles up front, particularly in pass protection, became the biggest factor in the team missing the postseason. They ranked 26th in PFF pass-blocking grade and lost six of the 10 games in which they earned a sub-66.0 PFF pass-blocking grade. They’ll hope for a healthier season from right tackle Charles Cross and an infusion of talent from first-round pick Grey Zabel, but the unit could be a concern once again in 2025."
A less-mobile quarterback in Sam Darnold opens the door for more pass-rushing opportunities for players like Williams and West, too, and it's not just PFF that's feeling bearish on Seattle's O-line entering the new season.
Pro Football Network's Ben Rolfe listed the Seahawks' up-front blockers 31st in the league despite Zabel's addition, having wrote:
"On the season, Seattle allowed a 39.4% pressure rate (30th) and an 8.3% sack rate (24th). They struggled whether opponents blitzed or not, and their numbers all around leave much to be desired following plenty of investment in the line in recent years.
The run blocking wasn’t any better; in fact, it was largely worse.
Seattle ranked third-from-last in RBYBC/rush (0.66) and 28th in RBWR. Based on these numbers, it’s not a huge surprise that they struggled to sustain a playoff push week over week consistently and were ultimately eliminated in Week 17.
Seattle made an immediate move to fix the offensive line by drafting North Dakota State star Grey Zabel with the 18th overall pick."
CBS Sports' Cody Benjamin, meanwhile, put the Hawks' O-line into his worst of four possible tiers.
Based on the analysis, Seattle isn't exactly expected to dominate up front this season, meaning the trio of 49ers rookie D-linemen can feature their already-existing strengths (particularly defending against the run) while honing their pass-rushing skills.
And those efforts will come right out of the gate when the Niners visit the Seahawks in Week 1 to open up the regular season.
One can assume Williams, Collins and West absolutely can't wait.
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