San Francisco 49ers: Top 5 early takeaways from training camp
By Justin Fried
2. Dre Greenlaw could be a Week 1 starter
The 49ers seem to have gotten a steal with last year’s third-round pick in Fred Warner and the team signed free agent Kwon Alexander to a hefty four-year, $54 million contract in the offseason.
But the battle for the strong-side linebacker job appears to be wide open.
The two main players competing for the starting position are veteran Malcolm Smith and fifth-round rookie Dre Greenlaw. But so far in training camp, the chatter has been all about Greenlaw.
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The Arkansas product has been impressing with his aggression and NFL-ready skill set so much so that he’s earned the majority of first-team reps at the SAM linebacker position over the incumbent Smith.
Greenlaw is reading offenses and reacting to plays much better than most rookies would be expected to do, let alone a fifth-round pick. He is a solid athlete who seems to have a nose for the ball which should serve him well in defensive coordinator Robert Saleh’s defense.
Rookies don’t typically get this many first-team reps early on if the team doesn’t expect them to start from day one. And even though the third linebacker spot isn’t exactly a starting role as he wouldn’t be playing in the nickel package, he should still see plenty of snaps in the base 4-3.
It’s looking like the 49ers may have found a steal in the draft at the linebacker position for the second consecutive year.