Robert Saleh Gives 49ers Linebacker Dee Winters Measured Praise

For the second offseason in a row, Dee Winters has been one of the 49ers' most impressive players.

Oct 6, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers linebacker Dee Winters (53) reacts after a tackle against the Arizona Cardinals during the first quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

For the second offseason in a row, Dee Winters has been one of the 49ers' most impressive players.

Last year, Fred Warner called Winters the best player at OTAs, which is high praise coming from a future Hall of Famer such as Warner. Unfortunately for Winters, his stellar play during the offseason practices didn't fully translate to the regular season.

Winters played just 398 defensive snaps last season -- he wasn't a full-time player. And when he was on the field, he made some plays, but he also often ran around like a chicken with its head cut off. He didn't always have great instincts for the football, which is one reason the 49ers gave up the fourth-most points in the league last year.

This year, Winters once again has played quite well in practice. On Wednesday, new defensive coordinator Robert Saleh was asked for his impression of Winters.

"He's been impressive," Saleh said. "Again, it's easy when it's OTAs and you're not having to deal with run-pass reads and everything's a little bit slower, but he's got something to him. I don't want to jinx him or anything, but if he stays on his trajectory and he attacks these next 40 days and he does things the right way, I think he's due for a heck of a season."

Saleh is giving Winters a vote of confidence with an asterisk. If he continues his upward trajectory and keeps getting better, he'll have a good season. But he's not there yet.