Fred Warner has been on a steady rise towards being one of the elite middle linebackers in the NFL since the San Francisco 49ers selected him in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft, and now his defensive coordinator thinks he has proven to be safely ahead of any other players in the league at his position.
49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh said as much during a media session on Thursday, declaring Warner the best middle linebacker in the league by a significant margin. There's some bias in Saleh's statement, given the relationship he has with Warner as his coach, but it still comes as heavy praise, considering the quality of other players at the position such as possible future Hall of Famer Bobby Wagner of the Seahawks and 2019 first-team All-Pro Eric Kendricks of the Vikings.
"I will be biased and say that he is by far -- by far -- the best middle linebacker in football," Saleh said. "It's not even close, in my opinion."
Few would have expected Warner to get to that point after the 49ers drafted him in 2018, partly due to the fact he was more of a hybrid safety/linebacker in college at BYU. But Warner stepped in as a starter immediately for the 49ers and caught on quickly, despite the level of adjustment the team expected him to make in his rookie season.
"What he's transformed into over the last three years is remarkable," Saleh said. "In college, he basically played nickel. He comes here as a rookie and we put him behind the ball at Mike linebacker to make all the checks. So he's seeing things for the first time in a long time with regards to the football. Behind the ball, all the reads are different, the feel is different. Then on top of that, we're asking him to make all the checks."
Warner wound up starting every game as a rookie and finished with 109 tackles and six passes defensed before carrying the same workload in 2019. He made noticeable strides in 2019 (107 tackles, nine passes defended, three sacks, one interception) but may not have gotten the recognition he deserved due to the fact he was playing behind one of the best defensive lines in the NFL.
"I don't think he got enough credit a year ago because of the fact our front four just stole the show every single game," Saleh said. "But the things that he did and the way he gets us lined up, it's Peyton Manning-like in what they did from an offensive perspective as a comparative measure."
This year, Warner has once again been an impact player on defense for the 49ers (91 tackles, three interceptions) and is also getting more recognition across the league. Chances are he'll see that impact turn into the type of postseason honors he's yet to receive during his career in the NFL.
"Now that he's got a third year behind the ball, he's only getting more and more comfortable behind the ball," Saleh said. "He's seeing more and more concepts, formations, being put in different situations."
49ers cornerback Richard Sherman thinks Warner gained a level of confidence in 2019 that has carried over into this year -- one that could wind up getting him the accolades his coaches and teammates think he deserves.
"He played really outstanding last year, especially down the stretch," Sherman said of Warner Thursday. "Probably from Week 5 (until the end) he was probably one of the best linebackers in football. Then he played all the way through the Super Bowl and played a freaking fantastic game in the Super Bowl, and I think it gave him the confidence coming into this year that he could be the best linebacker in football.
"He's played with confidence. He's played with detail and tenacity each week. He knows exactly where plays are going. He has great command of his defense, great command of his men. So he deserves everything he has coming his way. Hopefully the voters recognize him for the Pro Bowl and the AP writers recognize him for All-Pro because he deserves it."
Warner's play has caught the attention of Wagner as well as 49ers great Patrick Willis, who according to ESPN called Warner a "badass" on and off the field. Warner hasn't quite reached the level of Willis, who was a first-team All-Pro in five of his eight NFL seasons, but he's still well on his way to becoming the type of middle linebacker who is talked about among 49ers fans for years to come.
"Again, he's only going to get better," Saleh said. "With what he does and what we ask him to do, his positive energy, his leadership, his off-the-field stuff, you can't make them like that very often anymore."