The San Francisco 49ers acquired Maliek Collins from the Houston Texans in exchange for a late draft pick.
The San Francisco 49ers strengthened their defensive line by acquiring defensive tackle Maliek Collins in a seventh-round draft pick trade with the Houston Texans.
According to sources, the Niners plan to complete the acquisition of Collins pending a physical.
The person provided the information to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the trade has not been officially announced by either team. ESPN first reported the deal.
Collins joins a revamped defensive line in San Francisco. The 49ers previously agreed to deals with free agent defensive ends Leonard Floyd and Yetur Gross-Matos, and defensive tackle Jordan Elliott, anonymous sources report, but those deals are still final. It has not yet been decided.
Collins’ addition addresses the need for reinforcements on the 49ers’ defensive line, with several key players heading to free agency and others such as Arik Armstead being released for salary cap reasons.
It is expected that Collins, who turns 29 next month, brings experience and production to the 49ers. He will be paid base salaries of $8 million and $9.5 million over the next two seasons.
Collins received a bonus when he received a contract extension last year, so Houston will be responsible for a $10 million dead cap charge.
Collins had a strong season in 2021, recording his career-high five sacks and ranking 12th among all defensive tackles in ESPN’s Pass Rush Win Percentage Index.
Over the past three seasons with the Texans, he had 11 sacks, 26 tackles for loss and 35 quarterback hits. Prior to his time in Houston, Collins played four seasons with the Dallas Cowboys and in 2020 with the Las Vegas Raiders.