49ers top 5 players on roster under 25 years old

No. 1: 49ers Linebacker Fred Warner

Nick Bosa might be the most talented Niners player under 25 years of age. But Fred Warner is certainly more important.

Already a defensive captain and this side of the ball’s play-caller, Warner cemented himself as the elite of the elite with his first first-team All-Pro nod in 2020 despite San Francisco dealing with a terrible rash of injuries on both sides of the ball.

More from SF 49ers Roster

• 49ers roster: 5 players who could get cut after 2023 NFL Draft
• 49ers roster: Insanely early 53-man roster projection for 2023
• Kyle Shanahan is wrongly handling his QB situation with Trey Lance
• Zane Gonzalez trade doesn’t mean 49ers won’t draft a kicker
• 49ers roster: Top remaining free-agent tackles on the market

In a way, this allowed Warner to take on even more responsibilities, given the level of talent surrounding him was far less sufficient than what it had been during his breakout season in 2019.

But that’s the point of ranking Warner as the 49ers’ best under-25 player: He’s done so at a high level since his rookie 2018 season, regularly being among league leaders in tackles and, by a fair margin, leading the Niners in tackles each and every year.

It’s not even close in that last stat.

Turning 25 years old late this upcoming season, Warner is poised to cash in on a contract that should make him the NFL’s highest-paid linebacker in history, a deal worth more than $18 million annually, by most predictions.

Judging by the impact Warner has had on San Francisco’s defense so far, it’ll be money well spent.