49ers Linebacker Coach Raves about Dee Winters' Development

The 49ers need a replacement for Dre Greenlaw who signed with the Broncos this offseason.

Most assume his replacement will be rookie linebacker Nick Martin because the 49ers drafted him in Round 3. Martin certainly will have an opportunity to win the job in training camp, but he'll have to beat out third-year linebacker Dee Winters.

Winters was a sixth-round pick in 2023. He played only 60 defensive snaps as a rookie, but in 2024 he played 398 defensive snaps and started 10 games while splitting time with veteran De'Vondre Campbell who eventually quit the team mid-game against the Rams in Week 15.

Winters is not a quitter. In fact, he's becoming a leader on the defense according to linebackers coach Johnny Holland.

"Dee Winters improved so much from his first year to his second year," said Holland. "Unfortunately, last year he split reps and he was nicked up, but Dee Winters probably has been our most improved linebacker from Year 2 to this year. I see it now, his leadership ability. Dee Winters always had athletic ability. He can run and hit and be explosive. But he has a good positive energy, he communicates well and he just needs to continue to get better with reps. I think he and Nick Martin and Fred Warner are three really good linebackers for us."

I'm guessing Winters will begin the season as the Greenlaw replacement, meaning he will be the weak-side linebacker next to Warner and the two of them will play next to each other in the nickel defense. Meanwhile, Martin will be the strong-side linebacker in the base defense and he won't play in the nickel defense. At least not initially.

If Winters struggles or gets injured, then Martin will get his chance to fill the Greenlaw role, but not until then. It's Winters' job to lose.