Linebacker is finally a position of strength for the San Francisco 49ers, but what started as as strength is now spiraling into a major logjam. Behind Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw, the 49ers have Tatum Bethune, and Dee Winters as complimentary LBs who could soon be on the chopping block.
Since Greenlaw just came back, he isn't going anywhere, which leaves Bethune and Winters. And according to Niners' beat reporter Matt Maiocco, the 49ers could look to trade one of them during or after the 2026 NFL Draft, which would likely mean they'll add another linebacker on Day 3 of the draft.
Since Maiocco believes that one of them could be dealt, the more sensible option is clearly Winters. With Warner sidelined for most of the year, he and Bethune put up similar numbers in the expanded role in his absence, but odds are that the 25-year-old will field more interest from the rest of the NFL.
The San Francisco 49ers could look to trade Dee Winters in the near future
In addition to the Greenlaw signing, the 49ers used a third-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft on Nick Martin, increasing the likelihood of a Winters trade coming in the weeks. The 2023 sixth-round pick from TCU is set to be a free agent next offseason, and if it isn't in San Francisco, he'll easily cash in with another team willing to pay up.
In 2025, he recorded a career-high 101 tackles and eight tackles for loss, proving that once he's out of Warner's (and now Greenlaw's) shadow, he could do some serious damage in this league. But unfortunately, the opportunity Winters needs to become a star won't come if he's in San Francisco.
Maiocco noted that Winters' spot on the roster is secure, but if they aren't going to pay him big money on a new extension, you may as well try to recoup some semblance of value out of him. Odds are you could pick up another Day 3 pick, so for a team whose draft ends in Round 4 now, that clearly matters.
The reason why you keep Bethune over him is pretty clear: he has an extra season under contract, and flashed more green dot potential while Warner was hurt. And since I doubt John Lynch is already chomping at the bit to move on from Martin one year into his career, Winters is the clear odd man out.
The issue here is that with how injury prone Greenlaw is, trading any of these guys doesn't make sense. He's only under contract for a year and doesn't seem to be a long-term fix unless he's healthy. So keeping young guys like Martin, Bethune, and Winters around is what Lynch should be doing.
Winters and Bethune are only getting better, so hopefully Maiocco is wrong and nothing materializes.
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