The San Francisco 49ers are putting the pads on in full for the first time on Friday. Defensive tackle Alfred Collins will take part, as he’s recovered from shoulder surgery. Last Saturday, John Lynch anticipated Collins returning in the second window as long as Collins hit the markers he needed to return, which he apparently did.
The 49ers need Collins to take a second-year jump, especially with Mykel Williams still on the Active/PUP. Collins is a former top-50 pick. He was a dominant run defender as a rookie. That’ll go a long way for the 49ers, who need to get to passing downs.
Still, with Garcen Halton dealing with a bone bruise, the interior pass rush took a hit. The 49ers could use Keion White in that role, but Collins needs to bring something to the table as a pass rusher. That was not a strength as a rookie.
He had a pressure rate under 4% and only batted one pass. If you’re not going to push the pocket, at least get your hand up in a throwing window. We’ll see if Collins can change that in 2026.
