The San Francisco 49ers might have a behemoth on their hands, smack dab in the middle of their defensive front.
The Athletic’s Matt Barrows singled out 6-foot-6, 332-pound 49ers defensive tackle Alfred Collins as the team’s breakout star in 2026, as he’s paired in the starting lineup alongside newly acquired veteran defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa
“His spring was wiped out due to after-season shoulder surgery, but Collins should be back for the beginning of training camp,” Barrows wrote. “The 49ers were encouraged by the big man’s rookie campaign, which while not spectacular, did include nearly 500 snaps, four quarterback hits and perhaps San Francisco’s top play of 2025 — Collins’ forced fumble against the Los Angeles Rams on the 1-yard line late in a Week 5 overtime win. This year he’ll be paired with veteran Osa Odighizuwa, creating a pick-your-poison situation for opposing offensive lines. The 49ers need both Collins and fellow 2025 draft pick Mykel Williams to take big steps forward in their second seasons.”
Collins was impressive as a rookie, playing in 16 games with 1 start and 17 tackles, 1.0 sack, 4 QB hits, 2 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries, and 2 pass deflections.
Alfred Collins Dominated in Final College Season
Collins was dominant in his final season at the University of Texas in 2024, with both All-SEC and All-American honors as he helped lead the Longhorns to the College Football Playoff for the 1st time in program history.
NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein compared Collins to $45 million Washington Commanders defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw in his pre-draft evaluation.
“Collins isn’t going to stand out in one particular area, but he plays hard and has outstanding physical traits to blend right into an NFL defensive rotation,” Zierlein wrote in his pre-draft evaluation. “He’s quick laterally to spoil landmarks for zone blockers and has the stride length to disrupt upfield if asked. He added mass in 2024 and was harder to move when his pad level was right, but he can be tardy to shed and tackle a gap over. He has the traits to become a more consistent NFL rusher but the production is still untapped. He’s not a premier playmaker but he has the size, talent and alignment versatility to help fortify a defensive front as an early contributor and future starter.”
The 49ers drafted Collins in the 2nd round (No. 43 overall) of the 2025 NFL Draft and signed him to a 4-year, $10.3 million contract.
Osa Odighizuwa Brings New Look to 49ers
The 49ers may have hit a home run in trading with the Dallas Cowboys for Odighizuwa on March 11 in exchange for a 2026 3rd-round pick.
ESPN’s Seth Walder singled out the Odighizuwa trade as the move he disliked most by the Cowboys in handing out his annual offseason grades.
“The Cowboys chose the wrong D-tackle to deal, as Odighizuwa is younger and makes less than Clark, plus is arguably better than the veteran at this stage of their respective careers,” Walder wrote on June 30. “The Cowboys would have gotten less draft capital for Clark, but I don’t think they fared particularly well with the Odighizuwa deal and wonder if they didn’t trade Clark, who was part of the Parsons deal, due to the optics.”
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