49ers roster 2023: Dre Greenlaw finally receiving national attention
By Peter Panacy
49ers fans knew Dre Greenlaw was something special way back during his rookie 2019 season. Now, he's becoming a household name across the entire NFL.
Many a scouting report on former Arkansas linebacker Dre Greenlaw in advance of the 2019 NFL Draft pegged him as a modest coverage backer who'd likely have a role of being a good backup and special teams contributor over the course of his NFL career.
Well, those scouting reports were wrong. Like, dead wrong.
While overshadowed by his All-Pro linebacker teammate, Fred Warner, Greenlaw has gone from an up-and-coming player who had promise into one of the better playmaking backers in the league, and that's finally garnering him some serious attention.
Even though Warner led the Niners in tackles last season with 130, Greenlaw wasn't far behind with 127.
Year | Games | Tackles | TFL | Sacks | INT | Passes Defended |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2019 | 16 | 92 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
2020 | 13 | 86 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
2021 | 3 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
2022 | 15 | 127 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
Career | 47 | 326 | 13 | 2 | 3 | 10 |
Sure, Greenlaw's famous goal-line stand against the Seattle Seahawks to close out the 2019 regular season put him on the map.
Since then, and despite a small-but-noticeable injury history, Greenlaw is turning into more than just a San Francisco fan-favorite.
49ers LB Dre Greenlaw is now commanding NFL-wide attention
For back-to-back years, Pro Football Focus has tabbed the 49ers' linebacker corps as the league's best, highlighted by Warner and supported by Greenlaw.
However, Warner was the clear-cut star. Until after the 2022 campaign, that is.
PFF also dished out its ranking of the 32 best linebackers in the NFL entering 2023. Warner was No. 1, but Greenlaw managed to get in at No. 8. If that wasn't enough, NFL.com also had a top-linebacker list that placed Warner at No. 1 and Greenlaw at No. 8, too:
Who’s the best inside linebacker in the league? pic.twitter.com/12NRK3VDHJ
— NFL (@NFL) June 24, 2023
Two top-10 lists from well-respected league outlets. That's a pretty good job of Greenlaw putting himself into the national spotlight.
How much are the 49ers paying Dre Greenlaw in 2023?
Entering the 2022 season, the Niners inked Greenlaw to a post-rookie contract extension that would run through 2024 with a potential out after this upcoming season, according to Spotrac.
For 2023, Greenlaw is scheduled to earn $4.175 million in base salary and could command up to $5.55 million in total money.
Not as if it would happen, but San Francisco would be hit with $1.435 million in dead money, if it were to part ways with Greenlaw this season.
What should 49ers expect from Dre Greenlaw in 2023?
Having just turned 26 years old, Greenlaw is only entering the peak of his NFL playing career. True, there have been some issues with injuries, especially that groin injury suffered back in 2021 that kept him out of almost the entire regular season.
That said, when healthy, Greenlaw and Warner combine to make one of the league's best linebacker tandems, and it's certainly the best one the 49ers have had since the days of Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman.
At this point, Greenlaw is approaching his zenith. He might not be an All-Pro kind of player like Warner, but his current efforts should be worthy of Pro Bowl consideration.
And it's safe to say Greenlaw was snubbed a year ago for that award.
Either way, expect "Big Play Dre" to continue making big plays for the Niners over the course of 2023.