ESPN ranked 49ers LB Fred Warner as the top off-ball linebacker for the third year in a row, while Dre Greenlaw cracked the list.
It was a challenging season for the perennial All-Pro linebacker for the San Francisco 49ers, Fred Warner. Right around Thanksgiving, Warner revealed that he had been playing through a fractured bone in his ankle.
In early November, you could tell that Warner’s play had “dipped.” And we’re using that term loosely, meaning in the sense of Warner’s usual level of play. Still, I asked head coach Kyle Shanahan about Warner’s sidekick, De’Vondre Campbell, and how he had looked like the best defender on the field in November. Shanahan responded, “Yeah, I think you’re accurate on that. I thought Dallas was his best game of the year, and I thought this game [Tampa Bay] was maybe even better.”
Campbell was making the plays during that stretch that Warner usually did. But that was before knowing about Warner’s injury. Warner didn’t miss a game and hardly missed a beat throughout the season. He remained one of the most valuable linebackers in the sport, despite questionable usage from the then-defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen.
In ESPN’s off-ball linebacker rankings, Warner was listed in the top spot for the third offseason in a row:
1. Fred Warner, San Francisco 49ers
Highest ranking: 1 | Lowest ranking: 2
Age: 28 | Last year’s ranking: 1
Warner — recipient of four All-Pro first teams in five years — dominated the voting with more than 80% of the first-place votes.
He’s durable, only sitting out one game in his seven-year career. He has three straight seasons with at least 130 tackles and seven pass deflections, highlighting his pass-game prowess. He also has back-to-back years of four forced fumbles.
He’s considered the best defensive game manager in the NFL but has improved his all-around game.
“I think Fred has gotten much more productive defeating core blocks and tackling with more physicality,” an NFL coordinator said. “He’s always been the best in the world in the passing game — range, instincts, ball production. But he was incredible last year, and then you factor that with the forced takeaways, durability, and all the other rare intangibles, he’s the best.”
Warner has grown so much as a player against the run. He’s channeled that inner physicality, and it’s translated to a complete, dominant off-ball linebacker.
Warner’s former running mate, Dre Greenlaw, was also recognized on the list. Greenlaw ranked No. 9, despite missing most of 2024:
9. Dre Greenlaw, Denver Broncos
Highest ranking: 3 | Lowest ranking: Unranked
Age: 28 | Last year’s ranking: 9
Usually, a player coming off an injury-riddled season would not maintain his spot in the rankings.
But Greenlaw’s free agency told the story. Several league evaluators said he was the most exciting free agent, despite a torn Achilles in Super Bowl LVIII that cost him all but two games in 2024.
And when the Broncos signed him to a three-year, $31.5 million deal, the feeling of remorse out of San Francisco was real. “One-million percent,” a team source said.
“He’s a total savage,” an NFL coordinator said. “A top-five linebacker when healthy.”
He showed just that in his late season return vs. the Rams, racking up eight tackles in 30 snaps while giving up one reception for eight yards in 13 coverage opportunities. The year before, Greenlaw finished with 120 tackles (5 for a loss), 4 passes defended and 1 sack.
“He’s got to stay healthy and re-prove it, but he’s a badass, smart, strong, will knock the s— out of you,” an NFL defensive coach said. “I see how he stays hurt so much, because he plays with so much explosion.”
Seeing somebody rank Greenlaw as high as third was an eye-opener. But after you read through what other coaches say about Greenlaw, you can see why. You can’t mimic the style of play Dre plays with. It’s unique. To me, he brought out that inner physicality of Warner.
Hopefully, Greenlaw stays healthy. He’s an easy player to root for and will be an instant game-changer for the Denver Broncos if he does. The question is how much, if any, of a downgrade will Dee Winters/Nick Martin be? Health will play a big part in this equation, but Winters has a chance to be equally as impactful as Greenlaw.