The 49ers took Arkansas linebacker Dre Greenlaw with the fifth-round selection they acquired in a trade with the Denver Broncos.
Greenlaw is built like modern WILL linebacker who plays more like a safety than a traditional downhill, run stopper.
He measured out at 5-11, 237 pounds at the combine, and he brings a ton of athleticism to step in and contribute in coverage. However, Greenlaw doesn’t often stick his nose in against the run. The former Razorback posted 321 tackles, 13 tackles for loss and 4.0 sacks in four college seasons.
Greenlaw isn’t in danger of beating out Kwon Alexander for a starting job, and he may not even overtake Elijah Lee for the top backup spot. However, he should be able to play special teams right away, and it wouldn’t be a huge surprise if he wound up operating more as an in-the-box safety on defense than as a weakside linebacker.
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