5 under-radar 49ers players to watch over final three regular-season games
By Peter Panacy
No. 5: Linebacker Dre Greenlaw
He made a name for himself during training camp and into the preseason, then cemented himself as an unlikely would-be hero in the 49ers’ Week 10 loss to the Seattle Seahawks by intercepting quarterback Russell Wilson.
Rookie linebacker Dre Greenlaw has been a nice little story in 2019, and his role in the wake of Kwon Alexander’s pectoral injury has become much more important.
The Niners have missed Alexander, yes, and his absence has been somewhat alleviated by the continuing maturation of second-year linebacker Fred Warner.
Yet Greenlaw has found himself thrust into a starting middle role, no longer just a reserve.
So far, Greenlaw has made his mark in pass coverage, and Pro Football Focus has awarded him a respectable 69.9 pass-coverage grade on the season. Greenlaw’s marks against the run haven’t been as good, though, which fits into the 49ers’ general struggles against the run this season. At times, perhaps to make up for this weakness, Greenlaw has bit on play-action fakes and is generally susceptible to these kinds of plays.
How much he improves in this area could have a major affect on San Francisco’s second level of the defense.