The San Francisco 49ers used the 2025 NFL Draft to infuse a wealth of young talent into their roster as the franchise made 11 selections over seven rounds.
With as many picks as the Niners owned, they were able to take some risks on players in spots that teams with less draft capital would have been wary of making the same selection, despite any positional need.
Unfortunately, one of those prospects that missed a large chunk of their final collegiate season due to a knee injury has found himself on the shelf once again after a mishap in the weight room.
49ers Rookie LB Nick Martin's Bad Luck Continues With Latest Injury
San Francisco selected former Oklahoma State University standout linebacker Nick Martin with the No. 75 overall pick in April's NFL Draft, even though he was limited to seeing action in just five games during his final season with the Cowboys due to a torn MCL. Fortunately, Martin did not require surgery to recover from that injury.
Now, however, Martin has been bitten by the injury bug again, albeit in a less serious manner. According to Noah Furtado of the San Francisco Chronicle, the Niners' rookie suffered a fractured thumb while lifting weights in the last few weeks. Thankfully, he is not expected to need surgery, which should not impact his availability for training camp this fall.
Martin's luck with these injuries has certainly helped his chances of making an impact as a rookie, but if this trend continues, then it will become a major concern for the franchise. Taking a player within the first 75 picks is an indicator that they are expected to be a contributor sooner rather than later.
Martin's sophomore season at Oklahoma State was the best of his four years in Stillwater as the linebacker racked up 140 total tackles, 16 tackles for a loss, six quarterback sacks, two interceptions, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery.
Assuming he can get back to that level of production, as GM John Lynch believes by making this selection when he did, this will be a great addition to the defense. However, if the injury issues persist, then Lynch and company could be left wondering whether they missed an opportunity using this selection on another player.