Dre Greenlaw garnered significant respect across the league with his outstanding performance last season, despite his 2023 campaign concluding with a torn Achilles in the Super Bowl. Before the injury, the San Francisco 49ers linebacker impressed his peers enough to be ranked as the 76th-best player in the entire NFL.
76. Dre Greenlaw #NFLTop100 pic.twitter.com/xtk17fVSDK
— NFL (@NFL) July 24, 2024
"Greenlaw was once again a presence that opposing offensive coordinators had to game plan against," wrote Christian Gonzales of NFL Media. "Greenlaw was second on the 49ers with 120 tackles. He also contributed five tackles for loss, four quarterback hits and 1.5 sacks in 15 games. However, things took a turn in Super Bowl LVIII, with the veteran linebacker suffering a torn Achilles. His unceremonious end didn't take away from his stellar contributions, which proved crucial in the Niners' Super Bowl berth."
This is Greenlaw's second consecutive season appearing on the NFL Top 100, having been ranked No. 79 on the 2023 list. San Francisco selected Greenlaw out of Arkansas in the fifth round (No. 148 overall) of the 2019 NFL Draft.
NFL Network began unveiling the rankings this week. The NFL Top 100 is unique because it is voted on by the players, making it a tremendous honor to be included. The ranking is based on player performance during the previous year and anticipated performance in the upcoming season. This year's edition marks the league's 14th.
The 49ers don't expect Greenlaw to be ready for Week 1 as he continues to recover from his injury and subsequent surgery. He started training camp on the 49ers' physically unable to perform (PUP) list.
While Greenlaw is the first 49ers player revealed in this year's edition of the NFL Top 100 countdown, many more 49ers names are likely to be announced. San Francisco boasts one of the most talented rosters in the NFL and is considered the betting favorite to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl once again.