The Weakest Position on the 49ers Defense
The 49ers still have the best linebacker in football, but after Fred Warner, the 49ers have virtually nothing at this position.
Two years ago, they had Dre Greenlaw and Azeez Al-Shaair, two of the most underrated linebackers in the NFL. Together, those three formed the best linebacker group in the league. But now, Al-Shaair is on the Houston Texans while Greenlaw is recovering from a torn Achilles' tendon he suffered in the Super Bowl.
Now, the 49ers' linebackers are Warner, De'Vondre Campbell who was a banged-up liability the past two seasons in Green Bay, Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles who's a special teams player, Ezekiel Turner who's a special teams player, Curtis Robinson who's a special teams player, Dee Winters who played 60 defensive snaps as a rookie last season and Jalen Graham who played zero defensive snaps as a rookie last season.
Suddenly, the 49ers run defense, which struggled in 2023, could be even worse in 2024. Warner is an exceptional player, but he's must better against the pass than the run. In coverage, he shuts down the middle of the field like no one else in the league. But in run defense, he's not the hardest hitter or the fastest runner sideline to sideline. You often see him dive at ankles and get carried for extra yards after making initial contact with the ball carrier.
Greenlaw was the big hitter on the defense. The one who would deliver violent collisions all over the field, even near the sideline. And now he's out for an undetermined length of time. And when he returns, it's unclear how good he'll be.
One of the 49ers' red-shirt rookie linebackers better step up this season, or they'll be in trouble.
