The 49ers linebacking corps contained perhaps the three most underrated players on the team’s terrific defense a season ago. All three starters will return, but there could be a shake up in the group behind them.
Our 2020 49ers depth chart projections continue with the group of linebackers, which could once again help key a very good all-around defense.
Fred Warner
Warner had a strong rookie campaign and picked up right where he left off in Year 2. That bodes well for his continued growth in his third season as a pro. He led the team with 118 tackles, posted his first three-career sacks and had his first ever interception – a pick six in Week 16. Warner’s ability to stay on the field and be effective on all three downs makes him one of the most important players on the 49ers’ defense.
Kwon Alexander
There’s no guarantee that Alexander will slot back in as the starting Will linebacker. That position tends to play more often than the Sam linebacker, so it’s a small promotion from that spot. Alexander made a quick impact as the emotional leader of the 49ers’ defense and he was as advertised in coverage. He struggles some as a tackler, but his ability to cover multiple positions keeps him in line for now to start at Will in 2020.
Dre Greenlaw
Greenlaw earned the starting Sam job as a rookie fifth-round pick, and he earned more playing time as the Will when Alexander went down with a pectoral injury in Week 10. Greenlaw played well in that spot and came up with the biggest tackle of the year in Week 17 when he stopped Seahawks tight end Jacob Hollister short of the goal line to preserve the 49ers’ victory. Greenlaw might’ve done enough last year to earn the starting spot at Will, but he’ll need to prove he can back up his play in his second season to take over that job again.
Azeez Al-Shaair
Not only did Al-Shaair make the 49ers’ roster last season as an undrafted rookie out of Florida Atlantic, he was the first reserve off the bench to take over at Sam when Alexander went down and Greenlaw moved to Will. Al-Shaair played the fourth-most snaps of any 49ers linebacker last season and earned four starts. He’s not in danger of challenging for a starting job in Year 2, but he’s a very nice depth piece to have who can also contribute on special teams. He should hold onto the same role this year.
Mark Nzeocha
The special teams ace turned in another good year in 2020, and actually notched his first-career interception in Week 1 when he filled in after Alexander got ejected. He wound up losing that reserve job to the undrafted Al-Shaair though, so he has some work to do to make his way back up the depth chart to carve out a possible role on the defensive side. He’s still a safe bet to hold down a roster spot thanks to his special teams role.
Joe Walker
While Walker has been a good special teams contributor in his three NFL seasons, he played a ton of snaps in 11 starts on defense for the Cardinals last season. He won’t make his way into a starting role in San Francisco, but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him climb over Nzeocha and Al-Shaair in the hierarchy of reserves should one of the three starters suffer an injury. He sits near the bottom for now though.
Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles
Flannigan-Fowles made the transition to linebacker last season as an undrafted rookie on the 49ers’ practice squad after playing safety in college at the University of Arizona. His safety background should help him in that transition, but he’ll go into camp needing to carve out a roster spot by surpassing a more experienced player like Walker or Nzeocha. It’s going to be a steep climb for Flannigan-Fowles, but there’s no real locks for the roster so he’ll be in the mix if he plays well.
Joey Alfieri
The 49ers signed Alfieri to their practice squad late last season. He was an undrafted rookie out of Stanford who spent time with the Eagles and Giants in the preseason. He’s even further behind than Flannigan-Fowles since he didn’t have a whole year with the club. Alfieri is listed as a linebacker on the 49ers’ depth chart, but he played on the edge in college and could make a move to the defensive line.
Jonas Griffith
Griffith was one of the 49ers’ 10 undrafted rookies in 2020. He’s their biggest linebacker at 6-4, 250 pounds, and he’s coming off an extremely productive college career at Indiana State where he posted 100-plus tackles in three consecutive seasons. Griffith finished his career with 382 career tackles, 14 sacks and three interceptions. It wouldn’t be a shock to see him climb off the bottom of the depth chart given the team’s penchant for finding quality UDFAs.
