The San Francisco 49ers are adding defensive tackle Naquan Jones from the Minnesota Vikings’ practice squad, sports.yahoo.com reported Sept. 23. The move comes with rookie James Thompson Jr. expected to miss time after suffering a high-ankle sprain.
Jones is 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighs 313 pounds. In 2025, he logged 177 defensive snaps with the Houston Texans and Los Angeles Chargers. Sumer Sports credited him with 13 tackles, two missed tackles, 13 impact plays, two quarterback pressures and a 3.3% pass-rush win rate.
His run-stop rate was 4.8%. Jones previously spent two seasons with the Arizona Cardinals, after beginning his NFL career with the Tennessee Titans.
San Francisco entered Week 3 with Osa Odighizuwa, CJ West and Gracen Halton as its only healthy defensive tackles. Jones provides a fourth option and additional experience. The 49ers hope his interior play can help shield Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw from blockers until injured players return. A strong performance could lead to a larger role, according to the source.
The move also suggests the team did not intend to use practice-squad defensive tackles Sebastian Valdez, Kevin Givens or McKinnley Jackson in a game. No further details were provided.