One of the more intriguing competitions in the San Francisco 49ers training camp this year is who will line up at linebacker next to star LB Fred Warner. Dee Winters came into training camp with the advantage over the others, including rookie LB Nick Martin, whom the 49ers drafted in April out of Oklahoma State. And so far, Winters appears to be taking hold of his opportunity.
49ers LB coach Johnny Holland met with reporters on Sunday and was asked about Winters. "You know, when I'm looking at linebackers to draft, you know, one thing I can't teach is speed, and Dee Winters has just natural ability to run and speed," Holland said. "And he has great burst and great body control, too, for a linebacker. But, you know, that's always when I'm looking at linebackers is things that I can't really teach is speed. But I love the guys that can run and hit."
Asked why Winters seems to be making a big jump this year from last year, Holland answered, "When he came in as a rookie, we always feel like rookies need a year under the system because there's so much (fundamentals and technique, and scheme) that you have to learn. But I knew from the start that Dee Winters got a chance to be a really good player. Just take time developing guys, and just look at our past over the years with [Dre] Greenlaw, Aziz [Al-Shaair]. It takes a year or so to develop those guys. Fred (Warner) started out early, but Dee Winters has the traits, and he has the traits now to become a really good linebacker. And he has stuff that is hard to teach, physical violence and speed."
Until last season, the 49ers had the best linebacker duo in the NFL, with Warner and Greenlaw. But last season was difficult for Greenlaw, who missed almost the entire season after tearing his Achilles in the Super Bowl in February 2024. The 49ers saw what life would be like without Greenlaw, and it wasn't a pleasant experience. But now that Winters is taking a step forward, are the 49ers expecting him to replace Greenlaw, who left in free agency for the Denver Broncos?
"Dre Greenlaw is, to me, probably one of the top two or three linebackers in the NFL," Holland said. "And it's hard to replace a guy like that. Dre Greenlaw is tremendously instinctive, physical. He has all the tools that you look for to fit our system. And Dee Winters, you know, we have some guys that have similar size and traits to Dre Greenlaw, but we're not really trying to measure those guys up to Dre Greenlaw. That's a big measurement.
"But, you know, we want our linebackers to become better and better every day and see how far they can go. And Dee Winters is—sky's the limit, man. He can be a really good player, and he just has to stay healthy and play and keep getting the reps and keep improving."
The 49ers will see their old friend, Greenlaw, along with safety Talanoa Hufanga, later this week when they share a joint practice with the Broncos on Thursday. The two teams play a preseason game on Saturday.