49ers grab Fred Warner's running mate to kick off Round 3 of NFL Draft

Turns out, the selection ended up filling yet another key defensive need that opened up earlier this offseason.

And it's a need San Francisco clearly couldn't ignore.

49ers grab LB Nick Martin to pair with All-Pro Fred Warner

The 49ers' biggest offseason loss was that of now-Denver Broncos linebacker Dre Greenlaw, whose absence for most of 2024 because of his Super Bowl Achilles tear the previous February revealed just how porous the Niners' depth behind All-Pro Fred Warner was.

Rounds 1 and 2 were too early to grab a backer, but San Francisco wouldn't have been able to wait much longer and opted to grab Oklahoma State linebacker Nick Martin with its first pick in Round 3, No. 75 overall.

Martin, 6-foot-0 and 221 pounds, seems a bit undersized and had an injury-riddled 2024 campaign with the Cowboys.

Those negatives hindered his draft stock, and it's fair to wonder if he could have been had much later in the draft. But, when healthy, Martin is a tackle-generating machine, which is precisely what the 49ers needed in the wake of Greenlaw's departure.

Plus, Martin brings a coverage upside not unlike what both Warner and Greenlaw possessed.

If defensive coordinator Robert Saleh had his sights on Martin after pounding the table for both Warner and Greenlaw in previous years, one shouldn't complain about the Martin selection, especially if the injuries are a thing of the past.