Predicting 49ers depth chart at linebacker after Kwon Alexander signing

The San Francisco 49ers made Kwon Alexander the highest-paid linebacker in NFL free agency, which should shake up the team’s depth chart at the position entering 2019.

Who knows how long it will stay this way, but soon-to-be newly minted San Francisco 49ers linebacker Kwon Alexander is now the highest-paid player at this position in league history after agreeing to a four-year, $54 million deal reported Monday.

Alexander, who missed all but six games in 2018 with an ACL tear, does help beef up a Niners linebacking corps that dealt with a lot of attrition last season. Before NFL free agency began, San Francisco arguably had only one shoo-in to start at one of the three linebacker spots: second-year pro Fred Warner.

Additionally, the Niners also reworked veteran linebacker Malcolm Smith‘s contract, which helps ensure he’ll be around for 2019. As far as his role goes, however, it’s anyone’s guess.

With Alexander now a part of the picture, how should the 49ers be expected to construct their linebacker depth chart heading into training camp.

As of now, here are the linebackers on San Francisco’s roster:

• Kwon Alexander (not yet official)
• Brock Coyle
• Elijah Lee
• Mark Nzeocha
• James Onwaulu
• Malcolm Smith
• Pita Taumoepenu
• Fred Warner
• Dekoda Watson

Lee is an exclusive-rights free agent, meaning he only has the ability to negotiate with the 49ers. Coyle, meanwhile, missed the majority of 2018 with a concussion. Yet San Francisco seems to like both players, particularly their abilities on special teams, so they’re going to be on the strong side of the bubble entering training camp.

Watson, similarly, has value on the outside and on special teams, possibly pushing out the younger, less-experienced Taumoepenu, who has yet to find solid ground after two seasons at the pro level.

The Niners closed out 2018 with six linebackers on their 53-man roster. One should assume this will be the case again this upcoming season, perhaps with one of them regularly relegated to the inactive list.

Perhaps the easiest assumption to make about the team’s depth chart here is Alexander will occupy the weak-side (WILL) spot, while Warner handles play-calling duties at MIKE. Aside from calling out plays, defensive coordinator Robert Saleh views these two spots as interchangeable.

Things get a bit harder at the strong side (SAM), though. Smith spent time here last season, although he was initially signed to occupy an inside spot. Nzeocha actually ended up starting three games at SAM, so he might be viewed as a possible candidate along with Watson.

A lot will be determined during training camp, of course. For now, let’s go ahead and assume San Francisco keeps six linebackers and goes with the following for depth:

• WILL: Kwon Alexander, Brock Coyle
• MIKE: Fred Warner, Malcolm Smith
• SAM: Dekoda Watson, Mark Nzeocha

Lee is in a bit of a precarious spot despite showing some promise in the second half of 2018. If he looked sharp enough on the strong side — perhaps the Niners experiment with him there during preseason — that should help his case. So could any lingering effects of Alexander’s ACL recovery.

If there’s one certainty, the 49ers will be crossing off linebacker from their list of offseason needs. And the team’s depth here looks much better after the Alexander deal than it did before.