49ers general manager John Lynch desperately needs his 2019 draft class to generate a few long-term starters. The success of San Francisco’s rebuild and return to contention could ride on whether this year’s rookie class can produce in a meaningful way.
Fifth-round linebacker Dre Greenlaw drew some attention Saturday during the 49ers’ first training camp practice when he got work with the starting unit. His place with the starters came in part because of Kwon Alexander’s limitations in his return from an ACL tear.
Day 1 of camp isn’t necessarily indicative of how things will shake out by the time the regular season starts. That’s especially true since the pads haven’t come on yet.
The fact Greenlaw is already earning any first-team snaps is a good sign for his future standing on the roster though. Perhaps his play falls off dramatically once pads come on and his place on the depth chart subsequently declines.
However, the fifth-round pick may earn a starting job if he stays on his current trajectory. Greenlaw is undersized at 5-11, 237 pounds, and his athletic measurables didn’t jump of the page at the combine. His play on tape showed more athleticism than his workouts did, which is why he wound up in San Francisco.
Linebackers in the modern NFL are better off being more athletic and effective in coverage than being big, lumbering players who stuff the run. Stopping the run is still valuable and a necessary skill, but coverage has begun to eclipse it when it comes to staying on the field.
Alexander will likely start on one side if he’s healthy. Fred Warner will man the middle, and the other linebacker spot is open for a player like Greenlaw to step in and take.
He still has an uphill climb to earn a starting nod, but his work with the first team on the first day is a good sign for his starting point in the race for the top of the depth chart.
Greenlaw will be a player worth keeping a close eye on throughout camp and in the preseason to see how he progresses. If the 49ers can get starts out of their fifth-round pick, and productivity from their selections from the first four rounds, they’ll be in excellent shape long term, and to make a postseason push this year.
