If there's one thing the San Francisco 49ers have been blessed with in recent memory, it's been stellar linebacker play. From Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman to Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw, San Francisco has often employed arguably the best linebacker duos in the NFL.
However, an injury-plagued 2024 campaign limited Greenlaw to just two games, and in March, Warner's running mate bolted to the Denver Broncos, signing a relatively hefty three-year, $31.5 million deal, opening up a void in the middle of San Francisco's defense.
That left seldom-used 2023 sixth-round pick Dee Winters to step up and fill the void left by Greenlaw, causing much consternation amongst the fan base.