Pro Football Focus recently ranked the 32-best linebackers heading into the 2025 season, and unsurprisingly, Fred Warner was atop the list. The San Francisco 49ers linebacker wasn’t just No. 1, he was clearly above everyone else, standing alone as the only linebacker ranked in Tier 1.
However, he wasn’t the only linebacker on the list with ties to the Niners.
His former running mates, Dre Greenlaw and Azeez Al-Shaair, were ranked in the top 32 as well. Greenlaw, who’s now with the Denver Broncos, was ranked No. 5, grouped in Tier 2. Al-Shaair, entering year two with the Houston Texans, was in Tier 5, ranked No. 26 overall.
While all three are established veterans, their presence on this list should have 49ers fans excited about third-round pick Nick Martin. San Francisco has proven it knows how to find and develop good linebackers, and Martin could be next in a long line of quality 49ers backers.
Nick Martin could be the next defender 49ers develop into an elite linebacker
San Francisco has become synonymous with elite linebacker play, from franchise legends like Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman to short-tenured, productive players like Chris Borland and Reuben Foster. However, the trio of Warner, Greenlaw, and Al-Shaair helped the 49ers return to being an elite defense, and not many outside of San Francisco saw their emergence coming.
Warner was drafted in the third round, Greenlaw was selected in the fifth, and Al-Shaair signed with the Niners as an undrafted free agent. Still, the team saw something in all three and developed them into top linebackers in the league, even though only one is still with the squad.
However, San Francisco added Martin this offseason, and he should be next up.
The 49ers drafted Martin in the third round after he completed a four-year career at Oklahoma State. Unfortunately, an injury limited the linebacker to just five games in his final season, but in 2023, he recorded 140 tackles, 16 for a loss, six sacks, and two interceptions. He now gets to play and learn from Warner, while also being coached by coordinator Robert Saleh, and will have the opportunity to immediately contribute.
Considering the 49ers’ track record, Martin is well on his way to becoming one of the better linebackers in the NFL.