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After a controversial third round, where the San Francisco 49ers selected kicker Jake Moody and tight end Cameron Latu, the team pivoted to filling up other positions, targeting TCU linebacker Dee Winters in the sixth round with the 216th pick.
Winters now becomes the first linebacker that San Francisco has added this season after losing Azeez Al-Shaair to the Tennessee Titans in free agency.
Did the 49ers strike paydirt once again on a late-round pick, especially at a position where they've developed well over the Kyle Shanahan era?
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Obviously, time will tell how Winters will make an impact on the 49ers, but the player is very intriguing, especially for a 49ers defensive scheme that values speedy linebackers that have good instincts.
Winters ran a 4.49 40-yard dash and a 1.56 10-yard split at the NFL Combine, which is evident on tape when seeing his trigger, downhill explosiveness, and sideline-to-sideline speed.
Now, Winters, like many 49ers targets at the linebacker position, is undersized, limiting his ability to shed blocks against bigger bodies near the line of scrimmage in the run game.
However, Winters's speed and instincts for shooting gaps are going to be valuable when placed in the right position in the running game, as well as when blitzing.
But, I wouldn't be surprised to see Winters in coverage, as his speed allows him to carry with running backs out of the backfield, providing him some versatility as a weakside linebacker.
If Winters's size limits his upside at the next level, he could pan out as a solid special-teamer for the 49ers, adding to the deep room that already possesses undrafted free agent Marcelino McCrary-Ball among the reserves looking to make their way onto the 53-man roster.
In the sixth round, Winters is good value for the 49ers, who have shown an affinity for finding value in the later rounds of the NFL Draft after reaching in the past during earlier rounds.
No Huddle Podcast: 49ers Take Down Giants 30-12 on TNF
By Site Staff
Sep 22
(Episode 270) - Al Sacco and Brian Renick recap the 49ers' thorough performance in a win over the Giants on Thursday Night Football, including Brock Purdy running this offense like a pro, the play of George Kittle and Christian McCaffrey, why Brandon Aiyuk is so important to how the offense flows and the masterful job the coaches are doing of making adjustments.
The audio for the show is embedded above. Don't forget to subscribe!
You can listen to the latest "No Huddle Podcast" episode above, from our dedicated podcast page, on
Stock up, stock down from 1st half of 49ers vs. Giants
By Rohan Chakravarthi
Sep 21
The San Francisco 49ers are leading through the first half on Thursday Night Football, holding a two-score lead at 17-6 heading into the second half.
The 49ers came into the game as overwhelming favorites, but started slow offensively with an early punt after an initial field goal drive. But, San Francisco rebounded with two touchdown drives to go into the half up 17-6 after the Giants finished the first half with a field goal.
Stock Up
DT Javon Hargrave
Defensive tackle Javon Hargrave notched his second sack of the season, and has continued to
Stock up, stock down from 1st half of 49ers vs. Rams
By Rohan Chakravarthi
Sep 17
The San Francisco 49ers are in a tight race with their division rivals, as they're tied 17-17 at halftime with the Los Angeles Rams in Week 2 at SoFi Stadium.
The 49ers came into the game as overwhelming favorites, but the Rams offense has continued to build off their Week 1 performance with a strong showing on Sunday, leading to a close game at the half.
Stock Up
HC Kyle Shanahan
For the second consecutive week, head coach Kyle Shanahan has called a strong first half offensively, leading to a solid showing with 17 first-half
49ers Notebook: Deebo is no longer "awful"; Ronnie Bell makes a splash; J.J. Watt praises Niners; Captain Andrew Luck makes Levi's cameo
By Kirk Larrabee
Sep 22
Thursday night was a fun one at Levi's Stadium, where the San Francisco 49ers cruised to a 30-12 victory over the visiting New York Giants. It was a night that saw wide receiver Deebo Samuel declare himself as officially out of "awful" mode, running back Christian McCaffrey reach milestones, wide receiver Ronnie Bell create some lasting memories, and -- of all things -- Andrew Luck making a return to an NFL field (in full Civil War costume) to take part in a game of trivia.
Let's recap all that and more in this version of 49ers Notebook.
Not awful anymore
Back in June, Deebo Samuel caught some attention with his honest description of his 2022 performance
