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SF 49ers: 3 players who’ll help DeMeco Ryans most in 2021

By Robert Morrison

Inside Linebackers Coach DeMeco Ryans of the San Francisco 49ers (Photo by Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images)
Inside Linebackers Coach DeMeco Ryans of the San Francisco 49ers (Photo by Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images) /
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Fred Warner, SF 49ers
San Francisco 49ers middle linebacker Fred Warner (54) Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports /

No. 2: SF 49ers LB Fred Warner

SF 49ers All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner would be the key to just about any defensive coordinators’ plans given his ability to be the captain of the defense and to be a do-it-all linebacker in the Niners’ scheme.

Warner has improved every season since he came into the league as a third-round pick in 2018 out of BYU and has become part of a group of young players like Tampa Bay’s Devin White, Pittburgh’s Devin Bush, and Chicago’s Roquan Smith who are ushering in a new prototype for the NFL middle linebacker.

It is that improvement and Warner’s continued insistence on getting even better going forward  DeMeco Ryans can lean on as he builds his defense around Warner’s versatility and incredible skill set.

Of course, Warner and Ryans know each other well, with the former Houston Texans and Philadelphia Eagles linebacker having been instrumental in the growth of Warner, along with fellow linebackers Dre Greenlaw and Azeez Al-Shaair, to build one of the league’s best linebacking corps.

This relationship will help with Warner’s buying into what Ryans will bring to a defensive unit that has been among the NFL’s better groups over the last few seasons, especially in 2019.

So Warner will not only be one of the SF 49ers’ best defensive players, he will be one of the major keys to making Ryans’ move into the coordinator role as easy as possible.