49ers had under-the-radar reason for making one of their draft picks

The San Francisco 49ers saw some turnover in their linebacker room this offseason with Dre Greenlaw signing with the Denver Broncos, former Tennessee Titan Luke Gifford joining Robert Saleh’s defense and De’Vondre Campbell being left unsigned on the market.

With all of that change, San Francisco didn’t exactly feel comfortable with their depth at the position behind four-time All-Pro Fred Warner entering the 2025 NFL draft, so they used one of their third-round picks (No. 75 overall) on Oklahoma State linebacker Nick Martin.

Martin, 22, was a three-star recruit at Pleasant Grove High School in Texarkana, Texas before committing to Oklahoma State in his senior year. He went on to spend four seasons with the Cowboys, recording 203 tackles (24 for a loss), seven sacks, two passes defensed, two forced fumbles and two fumbles recovered in 35 games. He also earned first-team All-Big 12 honors in 2023.

While his play on the field was impressive at times, it wasn’t just his athletic ability that led the 49ers to take a chance on Martin. According to The Athletic’s Matt Barrows, who recently spoke with 49ers director of player personnel Tariq Ahmed, Martin’s mental game played just as big of a factor.

“Ahmad said the 49ers wanted someone with the communication skills to call defensive plays should Fred Warner ever have to come out of a game. Martin did that at Oklahoma State,” Barrows wrote. “And they were looking for a defender who could lead a group of rookie defenders the team might have to lean on heavily this season. Martin was a two-time team captain in college.”

Warner has been incredibly durable throughout his career, playing in all but one of the 115 possible games over his seven seasons in the league. However, the NFL’s a tough business, and staying on the field only gets more difficult the longer you play.

With Greenlaw out, Ahmad and the rest of the 49ers front office and coaching staff are hoping that Martin is able to take on that hole left by his absence.

“Body structure-wise, they’re a little different,” Ahmad said. “But the aggressiveness, physicality, play speed, the passion? There’s a lot of ways to compare those two guys. Everyone’s different, but we’re hoping.”

San Francisco bringing back Saleh and using their first five picks on the defensive side of the ball is a great sign for a unit that allowed the fourth-most points in the game last season (25.6 per contest). These changes should help improve that side of the ball and should help the 49ers back into contention for a postseason spot in 2025.

More 49ers: Why an ESPN analyst believes 49ers QB Brock Purdy is a top-five NFL signal caller

This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: 49ers drafted LB Nick Martin for more than just his athletic ability