Over the past few offseasons, the San Francisco 49ers have looked to rely more on younger players, as they’ve let a number of veterans walk in free agency while making 19 selections in the NFL Draft the last two years.
Now, the 49ers are still quite an older team, rostering several starters who will be at least 30 years old this year: Trent Williams, Kyle Juszczyk, Jake Brendel, George Kittle, Mike Evans, Christian McCaffrey, Colton McKivitz, and Christian Kirk.
A part of the reliance on older players
has also stressed the importance of developing draft picks, and the 49ers are expecting some of those recent draftees to step up this season.
The 2025 class featured a ton of players who saw ample playing time this season. Seven of the 11 draft picks played in at least seven games, with some being regular starters as well.
Looking ahead to the 2026 season, let’s look at those second-year players and see whether their stock is trending up or down ahead of the season.
DE Mykel Williams
Williams was considered one of the higher-potential players in the 2025 class. But being only 20 years old, he also was still quite raw as a player, especially as a pass rusher.
Still, there was considerable growth from the rookie throughout the 2025 season until he got hurt in Week 9 with a torn ACL. Now, the injury could hinder some of his growth throughout the offseason, but Williams is set to be in a great position to start the season.
He should be San Francisco’s starter on the edge opposite Nick Bosa and has some more help alongside him with Osa Odighizuwa now in the fold.
Verdict: Stock Up
DT Alfred Collins
Collins was one of San Francisco’s top rookie contributors, playing in 16 games last year. He had a slow start with an offseason injury, but also developed as the year went along.
Brought in to help the team’s run defense, he should very well benefit from working alongside Odighizuwa and is set to reclaim his starting spot as a second-year pro.
Verdict: Stock Up
LB Nick Martin
Martin was one of the bigger question marks from the 2025 draft class, as many evaluators believed the 49ers reached for the linebacker in the third round.
He was a non-factor for much of the year, struggling to climb up the linebacker rotation even with the amount of injuries at the position, and primarily played a role on special teams when healthy.
This offseason, the 49ers did trade Dee Winters, but brought in Dre Greenlaw, while still having Tatum Bethune, Luke Gifford, and Garrett Wallow on the roster. The 49ers also drafted Jaden Dugger in the fifth round, providing more competition in the room.
Martin has a chance to grow this offseason, but he still may not be ready to contribute outside of special teams.
Verdict: Stock Down
CB Upton Stout
Stout was one of the best stories for the 49ers in 2025, as he turned into a key starter for the team at nickelback. After struggling to start the year, it felt like Stout grew tremendously and was arguably San Francisco’s best corner over the final third of the season.
He’s set to reclaim his starting spot in the nickel and should hopefully benefit from a better pass rush after the 49ers really struggled in that department last year.
Verdict: Stock Up
DT CJ West
West and Alfred Collins both had a good amount of run as rookies and were influential in helping stop the run over the second half of the season.
The 49ers were actively in the market for an upgrade at defensive tackle, though, and found one with Odighizuwa. The team also drafted Gracen Halton to provide more competition in the rotation.
West should still certainly have a role in 2025, given how much the 49ers rotate their defensive linemen, but it’s hard to say the stock is fully up after the improvements at the position.
Verdict: Stock Neutral
WR Jordan Watkins
The 49ers wanted speed in their offense, which played a role in the team drafting Ole Miss wideout Jordan Watkins last year.
Well, injuries were a huge hit as Watkins played in just four games, making two catches for 26 yards in his rookie campaign. The lack of speed was also quite apparent on the field without Watkins and Jacob Cowing. Now, both are in a key spot looking to find playing time in Year 2.
The 49ers brought in Mike Evans and Christian Kirk, while also drafting fast, big-bodied wideout De’Zhaun Stribling (also from Ole Miss). That leaves a tough look for Watkins’s playing time to start the season, especially with Cowing’s continued growth as well.
Verdict: Stock Down
RB Jordan James
The 49ers didn’t get much from Jordan James last year, as he also dealt with injuries that limited him to three games.
But they seemed to have a good amount of confidence in him, and haven’t replaced Brian Robinson, who left in free agency. That paves the way for a competition behind Christian McCaffrey, and James should have a good shot of being the backup and earning more reps.
Verdict: Stock Up
S Marques Sigle
With the inconsistency in San Francisco’s secondary last year, Sigle got some early run at safety, but had his growing pains.
The 49ers are returning a similar group this year with Sigle behind Ji’Ayir Brown and Malik Mustapha, but it doesn’t seem at the moment that he’ll overlap them for a starting spot this year. Sigle should still get some snaps, but is more insurance as the No. 3 safety.
Verdict: Stock Neutral
QB Kurtis Rourke
The 49ers essentially stashed Kurtis Rourke last year, as he recovered from a torn ACL sustained in college.
This year, though, he’s currently slated to compete with Adrian Martinez for the No. 3 role behind Mac Jones and Brock Purdy. That’s a step up, as he’s got a shot to either make the 53-man roster or be the emergency quarterback.
Verdict: Stock Up
OL Connor Colby
After Ben Bartch’s injury, Connor Colby got an opportunity to start at left guard last year, but struggled early on.
Now, with the 49ers not making many improvements at the position, he’ll be given a chance to win the starting job in training camp. He’s got a good shot at making the 53-man roster.
Verdict: Stock Up
WR Junior Bergen
Even in not as deep of a draft, the Junior Bergen pick was a question mark at the time, as he had a returner-only profile. He seems suited to be a practice squad candidate again with the 49ers depth.
Verdict: Stock Down
