49ers Robert Saleh Hypes Up Rising Linebacker

Robert Saleh was instrumental in turning the San Francisco 49ers defense into one of the best in the league during his time as defensive coordinator from 2017-2020.

Then he went to be the head coach of the New York Jets for four underwhelming seasons while the 49ers remained a contender ... until last season's 6-11 collapse.

Now Saleh is back in the Bay Area assuming his old job, leaving fans begging for him to guide the team back to their dominant ways of his first stint.

This defense will look a lot different from last year, let alone the team Saleh ran before he left. The talent is there, but it won't be easy.

One major loss is linebacker Dre Greenlaw, who signed with the Denver Broncos in free agency. Next to Fred Warner, the other starting backer was projected to be Dee Winters until the 49ers drafted Oklahoma State linebacker Nick Martin, who many expect to compete with him for the spot.

Amid this positional battle, Saleh talked about the "cool group" of rookies San Francisco has this offseason, including Martin, who have been working extremely hard.

Saleh has also spoken highly of Winters, which tells us he could still be the favorite to get the starting nod.

“He’s got something to him,” Saleh said after minicamp.“I don’t want to jinx him or anything, but if he stays on his trajectory and he attacks these next 40 days and he does things the right way, I think he’s due for a heck of a season.”

This should give Winters the confidence to continue leaving an imprint on the Niners defense. He went from making no starts as a rookie in 2023 to starting in 10 games last season and setting career highs across the board.

The former sixth-rounder out of TCU had 44 tackles and four pass deflections last year, which is already a major jump in production as a sophomore in the league.

With a vacancy in the starting lineup, Winters is hoping to prove that it belongs to him so that he can continue the upward trajectory of his impact.