Fred Warner shares encouraging early impressions of the 49ers’ potential Dre Greenlaw replacement

The 49ers are hopeful they can fill the void left by Dre Greenlaw with a young player who can learn from his former running mate Fred Warner, and one candidate to take on that role already has an encouraging seal of approval from the four-time first-team All-Pro.

San Francisco had hoped to maintain the partnership between Warner and Greenlaw but saw the latter depart for the Denver Broncos in free agency.

Though the 49ers did not bring in a veteran to take his place — with the signing of Luke Gifford one geared more towards improving the special teams — the selection of Nick Martin in the third round of this year’s draft out of Oklahoma State set the stage for an intriguing position battle.

Martin and Dee Winters, the 49ers’ sixth-round pick in 2023, are expected to battle it out for the WILL linebacker spot next to Warner in the wake of Greenlaw’s departure.

Winters would appear to have an edge having played 41% of the defensive snaps in 2024.

However, speaking after Thursday’s OTA practice, Warner expressed admiration for how Martin has attacked the challenge of adapting to the NFL to this point.

Warner said: “I’ve loved everything that Nick’s been about since he’s arrived. With some of those situations, guys don’t want to seem like they’re the whole ‘too cool’ thing.

“He’s come in and he’s asked me every single question known to man, like, ‘Fred, how are you doing this? What are you doing after practice? What are you doing after you lift?’ and wanting to be a part of those things and not being afraid to ask those questions.

“I mean, I’ve seen the athletic ability flash already on the field, and the way that he closes. He closes space really quickly, and he already has the great mindset of wanting to learn. So, I’m really happy with where he’s at.”

Of course, Warner is unlikely to be negative about a rookie early in OTAs, but his warm praise of how Martin is continually trying to pick his brain is encouraging.

As Warner referenced, Martin possesses hugely impressive athletic ability, which allows him to close to the ball in a hurry and make plays in coverage. Martin overcomes being undersized with an extremely aggressive and physical playing style that should fit the 49ers to a tee.

The challenge for him will be to maximize his athletic gifts by honing his instincts to improve his awareness in coverage and play with greater eye discipline in the run game, with Martin sometimes guilty of overpursuit during his time with Oklahoma State.

There is no better player to learn from in that regard than Warner, whose blend of athleticism and instincts have seen him become the gold standard at the position.

Martin has clearly wasted no time in attempting to absorb as much as he can from Warner. Both he and Winters should be sponges in their conversations with him as they attempt to nail down a role as a three-down starter next to the best in the game. Who wins their battle to be Greenlaw’s successor may well come down to who soaks up the most of Warner’s wisdom.