The San Francisco 49ers pulled off another heart-stopping victory on Thursday night, edging out the Los Angeles Rams in overtime. The defense, as it has so often this season, stepped up when it mattered most, securing the win in a game that could have slipped away. Yet, despite their resilience, the unit is showing cracks, particularly after the devastating loss of edge rusher Nick Bosa to a season-ending ACL tear. With the defense struggling to generate pressure on opposing quarterbacks, it’s time for the 49ers to turn to an unlikely source for a spark: rookie linebacker Nick Martin.
Selected in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft out of Oklahoma State, Martin was expected to make an immediate impact alongside All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner. The 49ers envisioned the athletic, hard-hitting linebacker as a key piece of their defensive future. However, Martin’s journey to the starting lineup has been anything but smooth. A shaky preseason debut, marked by missed tackles and poor reads, raised red flags. While he showed improvement in subsequent preseason games, earning praise from 49ers legend and current Chargers coach NaVorro Bowman, Martin has yet to see the field in the regular season. Despite being healthy, he’s been inactive for all five of San Francisco’s games, relegated to the sidelines as Dee Winters has emerged as a reliable option.
This begs the question: does San Francisco regret drafting Martin so high? More importantly, with the defense in desperate need of a boost, why hasn’t he been given a chance to prove himself?
The 49ers’ pass rush has been anemic this season, with the team managing just six sacks through five games—two of which came from Bosa before his injury. Ranking near the bottom of the NFL in sacks, San Francisco has struggled to disrupt quarterbacks, putting additional pressure on a secondary that’s been forced to cover for extended periods. Defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, widely regarded as one of the league’s sharpest defensive minds, has done his best to scheme around the personnel limitations. However, as the old adage goes, you can’t scheme without the players to execute.
This is where Nick Martin could make a difference. In college, Martin was a dynamic force for the Oklahoma State Cowboys, showcasing his ability to rush downhill and wreak havoc in the backfield. In 2023, he recorded six sacks as a linebacker, a rare feat for the position, thanks to his relentless pursuit and knack for blitzing. Those traits could be a lifeline for a 49ers defense that’s struggling to generate pressure with a standard four-man rush.
Saleh’s defensive schemes often rely on creative blitz packages to confuse quarterbacks, but without Bosa, the unit lacks the personnel to consistently win one-on-one matchups. Martin, with his speed and physicality, could be deployed in targeted blitz situations to exploit gaps in opposing offensive lines. While he may not be ready to anchor the defense alongside Warner, activating him for specific packages could provide the spark San Francisco needs.
The alternative—continuing to rush four and hoping for a miracle—isn’t sustainable. The 49ers could explore the trade market for an established edge rusher, but with the trade deadline looming and draft capital already spent on Martin, giving the rookie a chance seems like the logical first step. His college tape suggests he has the tools to contribute, and his late-preseason improvement indicates he’s capable of adapting to the NFL level.
San Francisco’s defense is hanging on by a thread, and every game feels like a tightrope walk. The time for Nick Martin’s disappearing act to end is now. Activate him, unleash him in pass-rushing situations, and see if he can provide the jolt this defense desperately needs. If he can translate his college production to the pros, the 49ers might just find the edge they’ve been missing.