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Defensive lineman Siaki Ika celebrates during the first half of a Baylor game against Texas Tech on October 29, 2022.

On Wednesday August 6, 2025, San Francisco 49ers insider Matt Maiocco reported the team worked out four defensive tackles: Shakel Brown, Michael Dwumfour, Siaki Ika and Pheldarius Payne.

In an article released back on July 21, 2025, ESPN called the 49ers defensive tackle unit potentially the “worst in the league.”

The 49ers lost star Maliek Collins and former Pro Bowler Javon Hargrave at that position, and only added two rookies, Alfred Collins and CJ West.

“Jordan Elliott (a rotational player) tops the depth chart, and competitors Kevin Givens, Evan Anderson and Kalia Davis all played less than 30% of the team’s defensive snaps last season. The Niners figure to add more help and/or move Yetur Gross-Matos and Sam Okuayinonu inside more often,” ESPN insider Mike Clay wrote in the article.

The 49ers seem to be finally adding some veteran, experienced talent to their defensive tackle unit to navigate the uncertainty.

Kevin Givens Injury 

To make matters worse for the 49ers, one of their top defensive tackles is going to be on the shelf to start the 2025 season.

Kevin Givens, who has been with the 49ers for 6 seasons and is one of the team’s most experienced players, recently sustained a pectoral injury and will miss regular season time.

In the 49ers first unofficial depth chart of training camp, released on Wednesday August 6, 2025, Givens is listed as the starting left defensive tackle even though he played so little last season.

So the 49ers went from a guy who’s been a career backup to the career backup’s backup. No shade to Kalia Davis, but that doesn’t exactly instill confidence in his abilities to fill in as the starting LDT.

Givens’s injury was likely the straw that broke the camel’s back, so to speak, and inspired the 49ers to finally go out and get some help at defensive tackle.

Which of the DTs should the 49ers sign? 

It’s a given that in a matter of days or even hours, the 49ers will sign one of those DTs, Brown, Dwumfour, Ika or Payne, to a contract.

But out of that group, who should the 49ers sign?

Shakel Brown may be a logical choice because he has recent experience playing in the 49ers system. Brown was a member of the 49ers from May 14-August 27, 2025, going through last training camp and preseason with the Niners.

Michael Dwumfour is the only DT of the four to have an NFL start under his belt, and he is the most experienced with 13 games played. Dwumfour was also a member of the 49ers practice squad in 2022 and appeared in one game for the red and gold.

Of all of the players, Siaki Ika is probably the most intriguing prospect. The other three went undrafted. The Cleveland Browns selected Ika in the third round, 98th overall of the 2023 NFL draft by the out of Baylor University.

So Ika clearly was viewed as a player with a decent amount of potential coming out of college. He’s also the youngest of the DT group that the 49ers worked out at 24 years old, so logic follows that he has more of his physical prime left to unlock that potential.

Ika is the most likely to be a star and has the highest ceiling, but the 49ers probably need experience at this point. Expect them to sign Dwumfour, who has the most experience with the team and the NFL.

But of course, who the 49ers sign also depends on how the workout went. That will weigh heavily into the organization’s decision.

What do you think, 49ers fans? Who should the 49ers add to their DT room?

Ethan Inman is a sports journalist covering the San Francisco 49ers, San Francisco Giants and Las Vegas Raiders for heavy.com. He also co-hosts a college football podcast for The Voice of College Football, and writes about the NBA and MLB. He has previously covered the USC Trojans, the NHL, college baseball, and the intersection of sports and popular culture for other publications. He is based in the greater Los Angeles area. More about Ethan Inman

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