49ers depth chart: Predicting who makes the cut at linebacker

Linebackers on 49ers offseason roster

Gone are the days when the Niners had an overabundance of starting-caliber linebackers, essentially removed from the equation, thanks to last year’s trade of veteran backer Kwon Alexander.

That was an unsustainable situation, especially with San Francisco developing Fred Warner and working towards his own massive contract extension. And thankfully, Greenlaw’s ascent helped make Alexander expendable, too.

Now, however, the depth behind Warner and Greenlaw is a bit of a question mark, and it doesn’t take much to come to the conclusion by looking at the names on the offseason roster:

• Azeez Al-Shaair
• James Burgess Jr.
• Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles
• Dre Greenlaw
• Jonas Griffith
• Justin Hilliard*
• Elijah Sullivan*
• Fred Warner

*denotes rookie

Al-Shaair effectively assumed the No. 3 role on the depth chart and showed improvement over his modest 2019 rookie campaign.

But with the UDFA additions of Hilliard and Sullivan, is Al-Shaair’s spot on the 53-man roster safe?

That’ll be one major storyline to watch during training camp.