Probably the biggest offseason departure for the San Francisco 49ers has been linebacker Dre Greenlaw. The difference he made on the field for San Francisco was palpable, so losing him is really going to sting.
The Niners may be able to get a solid replacement in the NFL Draft, though.
UCLA walk-on Carson Schwesinger opened a lot of eyes in his senior year for the Bruins. He recorded 90 solo tackles while sacking the quarterback four times and getting two interceptions. That was a big jump from a 2023 that saw him record just six solo tackles.
The 6-foot-2, 242-pound California native had an impressive showing at the NFL Scouting Combine. He ranked first among linebackers, according to NFL.com's production score and received the second highest total score for linebackers.
What he put on tape in college is impressive as well. A video compilation of his highlights from last season showcases his speed in pursuit of the quarterback on some impressive sacks. One of his two interceptions came on a diving play where he showed off his athleticism to create a turnover. He also had a special teams highlight with a blocked punt along with some impressive open-field tackles on third down where he prevented the ball carrier from reaching the sticks:
Carson Schwesinger is an ideal Dre Greenlaw replacement
According to NFL Draft Buzz, he would be an ideal fit in a 4-3 defensive scheme because it would allow him to play in space more rather than take on blocks directly which may be a challenge for him. 4-3 just so happens to be the scheme San Francisco has run ever since Robert Saleh became the defensive coordinator in 2017.
It is not going to be an easy task replacing the hole left by Greenlaw in the middle of the defense. Thankfully, San Francisco still has one of the best linebackers in the game in Fred Warner. There are some internal options to address the need at linebacker, but it makes sense to add another linebacker via the draft.
Bleacher Report projects Schwesinger to go in the third round. The 49ers have two third-round picks this year, so perhaps they can snag him using either their 75th overall or 100th overall pick.
No one player is going to fill the hole left by Greenlaw. Yet, the UCLA product could be an important part of a committee of players who try and fill some of the gap left by him at the linebacker position if the Niners end up drafting him later this month.
