Carlos Avila Gonzalez/S.F. Chronicle
Carlos Avila Gonzalez/S.F. Chronicle
Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images
When Sebastian Valdez was in the middle of a group interview that included television cameras Saturday night, a member of the San Francisco 49ers public-relations staff advised him to put on a shirt as he walked past his locker-room stall.
Valdez did that. And then he noticed another wardrobe malfunction.
“Oh,” he said, “let me zip up my pants.”
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Yes, Valdez is a finding-his-way rookie. But the recently anonymous undrafted defensive tackle was surrounded by a gaggle of media because it increasingly appears he’ll find his way onto the 49ers’ 53-man roster.
The 49ers’ 30-9 loss to the Broncos in the preseason opener marked the debut of the team’s two defensive tackles who were drafted in April — second-rounder Alfred Collins and fourth-round pick CJ West. However, Valdez outperformed both in his NFL debut and built on his momentum from training-camp practices, where he earned the nickname “The Hulk” from impressed offensive linemen.
Valdez led the 49ers’ defensive linemen with four tackles and split a sack with defensive end Robert Beal. Meanwhile, Collins and West, who started, did not produce a tackle or a QB pressure, failing to appear on the stat sheet.
When asked about Collins and West, head coach Kyle Shanahan said he didn’t “really feel a lot out there with the pass rush.” However, he struck a different note when asked about Valdez.
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“I’d say he flashed the most today,” Shanahan said. “Just noticed him out there.”
Not many noticed when the 49ers signed Valdez to a free-agent deal after the draft. After spending three seasons at Montana State, Valdez transferred to Washington last year and had 48 tackles and two sacks. He wasn’t invited to the combine, partly because he’s a bit undersized (6-foot-3, 301) for an NFL interior defensive lineman. But he can hang with anyone when it comes to strength: He had 34 bench-press reps of 225 pounds at Washington’s pro day, more than any prospect at the combine.
His power earned him his “Hulk” moniker, along with respect from 49ers offensive line coach Chris Foerster, a 32-year NFL veteran. Valdez has been a star of one-on-one pass-rush drills during camp due to his knee-buckling bull rush.
“He’s been flashing a lot in practice,” Shanahan said. “He’s been a problem in one-on-ones and it looked like he played the run real well today. When our O-line coach talks about him in practice, that means he’s doing some stuff. It was good to see him carry it over to the game today.”
Valdez said he didn’t struggle with pre-kickoff nerves Saturday and termed his NFL debut “super fun” and a “good time.” He acknowledged he wasn’t as self-assured when he arrived for rookie minicamp in mid-May.
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“There’s always some doubt,” Valdez said. “There’s always some feelings of being overwhelmed. But there was never a feeling of ‘I don’t belong here.’ I know that I can overcome anything that comes to me. I know that I’m an NFL player at heart. And I know that once I get the chance, I get the opportunity, like tonight, I’m going to show out and do what I know I can.”
Valdez’s first NFL game was a success. But he also flashed the inexperience he showed during his group interview. In the second quarter, Broncos quarterback Jarrett Stidham scrambled for 18 yards down the left sideline to the 49ers’ 14-yard line, leaving a group that included Valdez in his wake.
Valdez went to the sideline and was met by animated defensive line coach Kris Kocurek, who gave him several seconds of forceful feedback. The problem? Valdez slowed up because he thought Stidham was stopping.
“Initially, I thought he was going to get out of bounds,” Valdez said. “And he continued running. That is an issue on my end and it won’t happen again. I assumed — you can’t assume in the NFL — and (Kocurek) caught me.”
