We’re kicking off our 90-in-90 series for the San Francisco 49ers. We’ll bounce back and forth on the roster numerically before we land smack dab in the middle at No. 50. That means today we’ll start with No. 99.
The 49ers selected CJ West No. 113 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft. The 317-pounder came into the NFL undersized. He’s closer to 6’1″ than 6’2″ with arm length in the seventh percentile. Any success West had as a pro would make him an outlier, given his frame.
Having veterans like Jordan Elliott
and Kalia Davis allowed the 49ers to ease West (and Alfred Collins) into the lineup. West only played seven snaps in Week 1. A broken thumb toward the end of September forced West to miss Week 4 after seeing his snap count steadily increase the previous two games.
By Week 5, West played 27 snaps, a season-high. However, that snap count went in the wrong direction over the next two weeks. In Weeks 8 and 9, West was a healthy scratch. Those two games off would be the last time West would miss a game. West didn’t start, but was outplaying the veterans by Week 11, when he played a season-high 34 snaps. Ultimately, West played 272 snaps during the regular season.
Despite Elliott (436) and Davis (461) out-snapping West, he finished with 15 stops compared to Elliott’s 19 and Davis’s 17. West also finished with the same number of pressures as Davis, and three fewer than Elliott’s. West doubled Davis’s quarterback hits total with six. Elliott finished with nine quarterback hits.
Basic Info
Age: 24 (His birthday is June 12)
Experience: 1 year
Height: 6’1
Weight: 316 pounds
Cap Status
West enters the second year of his rookie contract. His base salary in 2026 is $1.005 million. His prorated signing bonus is $252,773, bringing his cap number to $1.257 this year.
Where CJ West can improve in his second year
During an interview with NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco during Super Bowl week, West spoke about where he can improve as a player:
Year 2, I mean, I need to have one of the biggest jumps I had in my football career. I’m just really bringing my game to the next level, being more dominant in the pass rush, dominating the run even more than I did, affecting the quarterback in different ways. You know, pushing the pocket in his face, making him have to roll out so that Nick can get a sack, so that Mykel can get a sack, or freeing up Alfred. Just changing the game in that way would make a big difference in our scheme and in our team.
West being a more impactful pass rusher statistically than Davis and Elliott says more about them than it does West. If you look at PFF’s win percentage, West finished with 8.6%. That’s just under first-rounder Mykel Williams (8.8%) and easily clears second-rounder Alfred Collins’ 4.7%.
There’s a reason the 49ers were comfortable trading for Osa Odighizuwa for a third-rounder. His 13.6% win percentage clears every non-Nick Bosa player on the roster.
For a rookie, West held up even better than expected against double teams. Watching a Day 3 pick stand his ground was impressive. It’s the primary reason West saw his snap share increase in the second half. Being stout against the run is West’s trump card.
West already identified the areas where he can improve in his second year. Push the pocket. Move the quarterback off his spot. A splash play every couple of games would go a long way for the defense. If West can get his win percentage, pressures, and/or quarterback hits into double digits while maintaining his superior run defense, it’ll be a positive season for the second-year pro with role player expectations.
