Niner Noise
FanSided

Top 10 takeaways from first phase of 49ers training camp

By Peter Panacy

ENGLEWOOD, CO - AUGUST 27: Jarryd Hayne #38 of the San Francisco 49ers carries the ball as he works out during a joint training session with the San Francisco 49ers and the Denver Broncos at the Denver Broncos Training Facility on August 27, 2015 in Englewood, Colorado. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)
ENGLEWOOD, CO - AUGUST 27: Jarryd Hayne #38 of the San Francisco 49ers carries the ball as he works out during a joint training session with the San Francisco 49ers and the Denver Broncos at the Denver Broncos Training Facility on August 27, 2015 in Englewood, Colorado. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images) /
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BATON ROUGE, LA – NOVEMBER 14: Dre Greenlaw #23 of the Arkansas Razorbacks pursues Brandon Harris #6 of the LSU Tigers during the second quarter of a game at Tiger Stadium on November 14, 2015 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
BATON ROUGE, LA – NOVEMBER 14: Dre Greenlaw #23 of the Arkansas Razorbacks pursues Brandon Harris #6 of the LSU Tigers during the second quarter of a game at Tiger Stadium on November 14, 2015 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /

No. 8: Linebacker Dre Greenlaw the Next Hidden-Gem Find?

It’s rare fifth-round NFL Draft picks make an immediate impact at the pro level. But the 49ers have had some luck here in recent years (tight end George Kittle, anyone?), and it’s starting to look like they might have struck day-three gold again in this year’s draft.

The pick, of course, was former Arkansas linebacker Dre Greenlaw, whose 5-foot-11 frame and decent coverage abilities made him a shoo-in for backup duties and a reserve role, possibly a special teams ace, too.

But that’s not how the Niners are seeing him, at least not now.

Greenlaw has been getting a good number of first-team reps, particularly on the strong-side (SAM) spot. This is one of the few starting roles completely up for grabs in training camp, and it’s possible Greenlaw winds up being the player to push out others, such as Malcolm Smith or Elijah Lee.

The Sacramento Bee’s Chris Biderman broke down the kind of impact Greenlaw is having right away:

"Greenlaw is already with the first string and appears poised for a run at significant playing time, if not the lead “Sam” linebacker role next to Fred Warner and Kwon Alexander. He’s quickly earned the trust of the coaching staff thanks largely to his work away from the practice field. He already knows the tendencies of San Francisco’s offense, which allows him to fill running lanes quickly and pick up coverage assignments without confusion."

It’s early. But Greenlaw certainly appears to be the favorite to be a starter right away — something San Francisco hasn’t received from day-three draft rookies on defense in quite some time.