49ers 1st-quarter awards: MVP, least-valuable player, most improved and more

There are plenty of candidates for the Niners' first-quarter MVP, but there are also arguments for the least-valuable player and most-improved player, too.

New York Jets cornerback D.J. Reed (L) tackles San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings (R) / Thearon W. Henderson/GettyImages

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49ers 1st-quarter LVP: LB De'Vondre Campbell

In fairness to the Niners, they tried targeting now-Dallas Cowboys linebacker Eric Kendricks in free agency last offseason to help absolve the injury absence of star backer Dre Greenlaw, who's still out of action after suffering an Achilies tear in the Super Bowl last February.

Veteran linebacker De'Vondre Campbell was the contingency plan.

Campbell, a 2021 All-Pro, hasn't exactly played up to those merits. In Week 3, he was direclty responsible for the goal-line defensive whiff on Rams running back Kyren Williams that went for a touchdown. Late in the game, Campbell committed a costly defensive pass-interference penalty that directly led to more LA points, proving to be decisive.

Overall, over the first four weeks, Campbell has earned a lackluster 48.7 overall grade from Pro Football Focus.

San Francisco might be trending toward starting second-year pro Dee Winters in Campbell's stead, although Winters' knee injury has delayed such.

Either way, the 49ers are surely eager for Greenlaw to get back on the field, solidifying the linebacker corps behind Fred Warner.

(Dis) honorable mentions: Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles, Isaac Yiadom, Colton McKivitz

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