49ers roster bubble watch on the eve of training camp 2023
By Peter Panacy
49ers linebacker roster bubble
Lock: Oren Burks, Dre Greenlaw, Fred Warner
Strong bubble: Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles, Jalen Graham*, Dee Winters*
Weak bubble: Marcelino McCrary-Ball
Long shot: Curtis Robinson
The Niners still own the best linebacker group in the NFL this season, according to Pro Football Focus, despite losing Azeez Al-Shaair in free agency to the Tennessee Titans.
Having Dre Greenlaw and Fred Warner, two players in the NFL.com's top 10 backers for 2023, helps matters a lot. But the less-used strong-side (SAM) linebacker role is still very much up for grabs.
Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles and Oren Burks figure to be the favorites, and San Francisco values both because o their special teams, too.
That said, the 49ers also invested draft capital in two rookies, Dee Winters and Jalen Graham, and both could potentially wind up stealing the job and a roster spot from the older veterans, too.