3. Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles, LB
Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles might not be the biggest name on the 49ers defense, but he has become a consistent rotational part of the unit. The former Arizona defender joined the franchise as an undrafted free agent in 2019 and has suited up in 92 games between the regular season and playoffs since then — including 12 outings in 2024.
Much to the 49ers' dismay, Flannigan-Fowles' latest performance was far from perfect. The 28-year-old linebacker only recorded 10 solo tackles while missing a career-worst 19.0% of his attempts. His underwhelming performance led to new personal lows in several PFF grading categories, including tackling (27.1), run stoppage (42.2), and overall defense (30.6).
Set to hit free agency in March, it's going to take a lot for Flannigan-Fowles to prove that he deserves to be re-signed. Linebackers are supposed to be competent at defending the pass and run, however, the underperforming veteran excelled at neither.
Flannigan-Fowles will also be turning 29 years old before the 2025 season begins, meaning Saleh and the 49ers might want to replace him with a younger, more consistent LB. The fact that he's spent six years with the team is negligible if San Francisco knows that it can get better by subtraction.