One Stat Reveals How Good 49ers' Dee Winters is Playing This Season

Dee Winters deserves more recognition and praise for his performance this year.

September 28, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers linebacker Dee Winters (53) during the third quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

2025 has been a rough year for the San Francisco 49ers on defense. They have barely been average, and that's being generous. There isn't much positivity to be said about that side of the ball.

However, there is one player on the 49ers' defense who has been playing really well this season. It's linebacker Dee Winters. He hasn't been recognized or praised enough for his performances.

That's likely because he doesn't have the interceptions, sacks, or many highlight plays to be recognized. Thankfully, there is a stat that reveals how well Winters has been playing this season.

Dee Winters is strong in pass coverage

Dec 22, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; San Francisco 49ers linebacker Dee Winters (53) carries the ball after an interception for a touchdown against the Indianapolis Colts in the fourth quarter of the game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Winters has been targeted 88 times this season, at least 10 more than all but one other linebacker (Devin White, 89), per Next Gen Stats. That alone means a quarterback and an offensive coordinator identified him as a weak link.

Considering White has been targeted the most, and he's an awful player, it's indicative of what offenses think of Winters. However, that was to test his ability early since he's a new starter this season.

And Winters has passed that test with flying colors. His 4.9 yards per target allowed is the second-fewest among linebackers with 40-plus targets. Winters has held up strong in pass coverage, and he's improved as the season has progressed.

Since the 49ers' Week 14 bye, he's allowed just 40 yards in coverage on 14 targets, including a pick-six in Week 16 against the Colts. And here's a statistic for fun: Winters became the only inside linebacker this season to eclipse 20 mph as a ball carrier on that play pick-six, reaching 20.15 mph.

November 9, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers linebacker Dee Winters (53) before the game against the Los Angeles Rams at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Now, a significant reason his targets dropped off has to do with Fred Warner's injury. With Warner in the lineup, it makes sense to throw away from him and against Winters.

With Warner out and others, it's more enticing to attack elsewhere, especially with a nonexistent pass rush. Of course, that's not to take away the strides Winters has made in pass coverage. This stat supports it.

Winters isn't a super-talented player, but he's definitely a solid starter that a handful of other defenses would love to have. He's been one of the best defenders for the 49ers this year.

You could even argue that he's been the best. No one on the defensive line has been stellar, and neither has anyone in the secondary. Deommodore Lenoir may be the best player, but he hasn't had the best season.

Winters had enormous shoes to fill this year. He was the replacement for Dre Greenlaw. And while he's still levels behind Greenlaw's impact, he's been a fine productive player.

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