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The San Francisco 49ers already have their rookies back in the building after the long break, and their veterans will follow on Saturday, July 25, for the start of the team's 10th training camp under Kyle Shanahan.
As we look ahead to the 2026 season, San Francisco's defense is certainly an interesting unit, considering they dealt with so many injuries last year that we never really got to see what they could've looked like. And, now with new defensive coordinator Raheem Morris locked in, there will likely be more changes.
Before training camp actually kicks off, we're going through and discussing some underrated players to watch for San Francisco over the next month. Today, let's focus on the defense.
Keion White
White played collegiately at Old Dominion from 2017-20, earning All-Conference USA honors once, before transferring to Georgia Tech, where he played from 2021-22 and earned All-ACC honors once. The New England Patriots took him in the second round (No. 46 overall) of the 2023 NFL draft. San Francisco acquired White and a conditional seventh-round pick for a sixth-round pick around the deadline.
The 27-year-old showed some promise at times in New England and recorded 1.5 sacks in nine games for the 49ers last season. However, after the year, White was shot at a Super Bowl party and has spent this offseason recovering. It's unknown when he'll be fully cleared, but he could play a big role on the edge for San Francisco this year if it's soon.
Nick Martin
Martin spent five years at Oklahoma State from 2021-24, earning All-Big 12 honors once. The 49ers took him in the third round (No. 75 overall) of the 2025 NFL draft, and last year he played in just seven games and recorded 11 tackles and a forced fumble.
The 23-year-old was a healthy scratch at points in the year and suffered a concussion in Week 13 that ended his season prematurely. Now, he'll have an opportunity to fight with Tatum Bethune for the top backup spot behind Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw.
Jack Jones
Jones made three stops in college at USC (2016-17), Moorpark College (2018) and Arizona State (2019-21), where he earned All-Pac-12 honors once. The New England Patriots took him in the fourth round (No. 121 overall) of the 2022 NFL draft, and since then, he's also played for the Las Vegas Raiders and Miami Dolphins.
San Francisco signed Jones in April, and he'll likely be in the mix for a starting job opposite Deommodore Lenoir, as former second-round pick Renardo Green has been up and down.
Marques Sigle
Sigle started his collegiate career at North Dakota, where he played from 2020-22, before transferring to Kansas State for 2023-24. The 49ers took him in the fifth round (No. 160 overall) of the 2025 NFL draft. While he began the season as a starter, he was benched when Malik Mustapha returned from injury.
It's unlikely that Sigle steals a starting job from Mustapha or Ji'Ayir Brown, but the 49ers will need someone to step up as a third safety, and the 24-year-old is the top candidate to do just that.
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This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: 4 under-the-radar defensive players to watch at 49ers training camp
