Niner Noise
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San Francisco 49ers: Ranking the top 25 players for 2018

By Chris Wilson

SANTA CLARA, CA - NOVEMBER 20: DeForest Buckner #99 of the San Francisco 49ers reacts after he sacked Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots at Levi's Stadium on November 20, 2016 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CA - NOVEMBER 20: DeForest Buckner #99 of the San Francisco 49ers reacts after he sacked Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots at Levi's Stadium on November 20, 2016 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
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19. LB Fred Warner

The San Francisco 49ers drafted linebacker Fred Warner in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft as a potential replacement for Foster, but now that Foster is back in the team’s long-term plans, Lynch and Shanahan hope the duo will man the Niners’ two inside linebacker spots for years to come.

With the 49ers coaching staff giving Warner reps at MIKE linebacker, the best-case scenario for the team is a Week-1 starting lineup that includes Warner at MIKE and Foster at WILL; however, with the potential of an early-season suspension for Foster, fans may have to wait to see the future of the linebacking corps in action in the regular season.

If Warner isn’t ready to take over the MIKE role by the beginning of the regular season, he could still be used as a stacked linebacker on passing downs, or potentially as a SAM linebacker, due to his coverage skills and his experience playing closer to the line during his time at BYU.