SF 49ers: 5 players who must step up over final six games
By Peter Panacy
No. 4: SF 49ers Linebacker Dre Greenlaw
The chief reason why San Francisco moved on from veteran linebacker Kwon Alexander at the NFL trade deadline was to clear his exceptionally high contract, freeing up some much-needed cap space.
The other reason, however, was because the SF 49ers felt they had another up-and-coming linebacker waiting in the folds: second-year pro Dre Greenlaw.
True, Greenlaw is already second on the team in total tackles behind his linebacking mate, Fred Warner, with 54. And Greenlaw also has one sack and a pass defended, too, showing he can be an asset in pass defense at times.
But the Pro Football Focus analytics suggest otherwise, giving Greenlaw a 49.0 overall grade — a 15-point drop in the impressive 64.0 mark he enjoyed during his rookie season.
Greenlaw has often been a step or two behind in coverage this season, and his efforts against the run have translated into a lowly 40.1 run-defense grade, per PFF.
While San Francisco’s run defense has been good enough overall, getting Greenlaw into his 2019 form will be essential for the SF 49ers to ensure an above-.500 mark for the rest of the regular season.