The San Francisco 49ers require some depth at defensive tackle after Kevin Givens sustained a pectoral injury that will force Givens to “be out for a while,” per Kyle Shanahan. Bruce Hector was a recent addition, but he only saw limited action with the New York Jets the previous two seasons. Because of this, the team worked out four defensive tackles on Wednesday afternoon.
Shakel Brown, who spent time on the Niners’ practice squad in 2024, was one of the tryouts. Brown, 6’3″, 295 pounds, was an undrafted free agent from the 2023 NFL Draft class.
Michael Dwumfour, who signed to the 49ers practice squad in December 2022, was another tryout. Dwumfour spent time in Houston with DeMeco Ryans and was signed by the Jets during Robert Saleh’s second season as a head coach. Dwumfour, 27, is 6’1″, 296 pounds.
The third tryout, Siaki Ika, is a pure space-eater. The third round pick from the 2023 NFL Draft is 6’3″, 335 pounds. Ika was drafted by the Cleveland Browns, but hasn’t played a regular-season snap since his rookie season. Vic Fangio and the Philadelphia Eagles signed Ika twice last fall, but released him within a week each time. He was most recently with the Kansas City Chiefs, but was waived in June.
The final defensive tackle belongs on the all-name team: Pheldarius Payne. The 6’3″, 275-pound defensive tackle was undrafted in 2024 out of Virginia State. Payne spent time on the Texans and Indianapolis Colts practice squad last season but didn’t appear in any regular-season games.
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