After seeing a mass exodus in free agency on defense in March, the San Francisco 49ers made sure to prioritize the unit in the 2025 NFL Draft. Among their 11 picks in the draft, the 49ers used their first five on the defensive side of the ball.
The 49ers hope that these rookies, specifically Mykel Williams (first round) and Alfred Collins (second round), will become instant contributors this upcoming season.
San Francisco spending a lot of draft capital on defense doesn’t inspire hope and playing time for some of the current players on the roster, like defensive tackle Kalia Davis.
49ers' Kalia Davis on Chopping Block Ahead of Rookie Minicamp
The 26-year-old defender missed his rookie season because of a knee injury he suffered in his last year at the University of Central Florida. However, in his second year with the squad, Davis appeared in three games but was ultimately placed on injured reserve in December 2023.
Even though his first two years didn’t go as planned, the former Florida State defensive lineman appeared in 13 games last season (career-high) due to the injuries on the front seven. He spent the first part of the 2024 season on IR because of a knee injury, but in his return to the field, he racked up 12 combined tackles, an interception, and a pass deflection.
According to PFF, Davis had a 53.8 pass rush grade (174th among 219 defensive linemen) and a 42.5 run defense grade (170th), which weren’t anything special.
Therefore, with the 49ers taking two defensive linemen in the draft (Collins and CJ West in the fourth round) and signing former University of Washington defender Sebastian Valdez as an undrafted free agent, Davis could be in danger of getting cut in the near future.
Since Davis is entering the last year of his rookie deal with a $1.13 million cap hit, it won’t hurt the 49ers to cut the former sixth-round pick, especially if Valdez looks good in rookie minicamp or if a tryout player surprises the 49ers’ coaching staff.
With the 49ers looking to get younger and more explosive on the defensive line, fans will watch to see what happens with Davis and the other players at the bottom of the roster.