49ers Eye Alabama Linebacker Nikhai Hill-Green as Draft Target After Pre-Draft Meeting

The San Francisco 49ers have a clear prototype when evaluating linebackers in the NFL Draft, and Alabama prospect Nikhai Hill-Green fits that mold almost perfectly. According to reports, the former Crimson Tide linebacker met virtually with the 49ers ahead of this year's draft, a meeting that makes plenty of sense given his athletic profile.

Hill-Green measures in at 6-foot-1, 223 pounds with 32 3/8-inch arms and a 78-inch wingspan according to The Athletic's Dane Brugler. Those numbers align remarkably close with recent 49ers draft picks at linebacker, including Dee Winters (2023 sixth-rounder), Tatum Bethune (2024 seventh-rounder), and Nick Martin (2025 third-rounder). All four players fall within a remarkably tight range of each other's measurements.

On the field, Hill-Green's testing numbers tell a similar story. He posted a 4.65-second 40-yard dash with a 1.58-second 10-yard split, a 112-inch broad jump, a 34.5-inch vertical leap, and 23 bench press reps. While his 40-time is a tick slower than some of those 49ers counterparts, his explosion numbers and strength metrics more than compensate.

The 49ers' pattern of targeting athletic, mid-round linebackers has been consistent in recent years. Hill-Green appears to be the next iteration of that type of prospect, a player who may not hear his name called on draft night but could absolutely land in San Francisco as an undrafted free agent or late-round priority signing.

His college journey has been anything but straightforward. Hill-Green began his career at Michigan in 2020, missed the entire 2022 season, then spent time at Charlotte (2023), Colorado (2024), and finally Alabama in 2025. His most productive season came in 2024 with the Buffaloes, where he recorded 82 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks, two interceptions, and four pass breakups across 12 games.

Last season in the SEC, his numbers dipped slightly to 60 tackles and 5.0 tackles for loss with three pass breakups in 15 games, but the level of competition was significantly higher. Brugler projects Hill-Green as an undrafted free agent, which could make him an intriguing post-draft target for a 49ers team looking to reload its linebacker room with athletic, developmental players who fit their specific prototype.

With his combination of size, length, and athleticism, Hill-Green certainly looks the part of a player San Francisco would be comfortable bringing into the building. Whether he makes it to the draft's final day or slips through entirely, expect the 49ers to have strong interest.