CJ West
Career Summary
CJ West is a defensive lineman from Chicago, Illinois, who played at Kent State and Indiana before the San Francisco 49ers selected him in the 2025 NFL Draft.
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High School
West attended Nazareth Academy in La Grange Park, Illinois, before beginning his college football career at Kent State.
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College Career
West played four seasons at Kent State from 2020 through 2023 before transferring to Indiana for 2024. Across five college seasons, he appeared in 52 games with 48 starts and totaled 152 tackles, 27 tackles for loss, nine sacks, two pass breakups, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. He was a third-team All-MAC pick in 2023 and an honorable mention All-Big Ten choice in 2024 after posting 42 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss and two sacks for Indiana.
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Path to the NFL
The San Francisco 49ers selected West out of Indiana in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft with the 113th overall pick. The 49ers signed him to a four-year contract in June 2025.
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NFL Career
West made his NFL debut with the 49ers in 2025, appearing in 14 games and recording 21 combined tackles with one sack. The official NFL statistical profile lists him as an active San Francisco defensive tackle.
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Sources for this section
Career Accomplishments
West earned third-team All-MAC honors in 2023 and honorable mention All-Big Ten recognition in 2024. At Indiana, he contributed to a defense that set program records for rushing defense, opponent scoring average and total defense.
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Playing Style
West entered the NFL as a powerful interior defensive lineman with experience against both MAC and Big Ten competition. The 49ers cited his consistent production, experience and value to the interior defensive line when announcing his selection.
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Sources for this section
31824, 00-0040711, 2002-06-12, CJ West, Chaddrian, West
MFT PLAYER RANKINGS
Current player ranking
MFT Score: 61.0
2026 preseason baseline. Position-relative and updated through the site’s weekly review process.