ESPN Ranks 49ers LB Fred Warner the NFL's Top Off-Ball Linebacker

Of all the great players on the 49ers, Fred Warner might be the greatest one.

Jun 11, 2025; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers linebacker Fred Warner (54) watches his teammates workout during a team OTA at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images | D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

Of all the great players on the 49ers, Fred Warner might be the greatest one.

He has absolutely zero holes in his game. He's good moving forward, backward and side to side. He's fast, violent and smart. He's in his prime. And he almost never misses games.

That's why ESPN ranks Warner as the NFL's top off-ball linebacker heading into the 2025 season.

"Warner -- recipient of four All-Pro first teams in five years -- dominated the voting with more than 80% of the first-place votes," writes ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.

"He's durable, only sitting out one game in his seven-year career. He has three straight seasons with at least 130 tackles and seven pass deflections, highlighting his pass-game prowess. He also has back-to-back years of four forced fumbles.

"He's considered the best defensive game manager in the NFL but has improved his all-around game.

"'I think Fred has gotten much more productive defeating core blocks and tackling with more physicality,' an NFL coordinator said. 'He's always been the best in the world in the passing game -- range, instincts, ball production. But he was incredible last year, and then you factor that with the forced takeaways, durability, and all the other rare intangibles, he's the best.'"

What's even more impressive is that Warner broke his ankle in Week 4 and never missed a game. He played through the injury all season and still was a first-team All Pro.

And yet, despite Warner's fantastic season last year, the 49ers still gave 24 rushing touchdowns -- the third-most in the NFL. And that's because Warner can't shut down an opposing offense by himself. He sorely missed fellow linebacker Dre Greenlaw last season. Now, Greenlaw is on the Broncos.

We'll see if the 49ers can find a new running mate for Warner while he's still in his prime.