Fred Warner and Nick Bosa of the San Francisco 49ers.
The San Francisco 49ers may have purged a ton of talent off of the roster this offseason, but the organization still has some elite talent at numerous positions.
One recent PFF article even heaped significant praise on one Niners’ star by placing him atop their rankings at a defensive position entering the 2025 NFL season.
Fred Warner ‘Stands Alone’ Atop the PFF LB Rankings Entering the 2025 NFL Season
PFF NFL Analyst Mason Cameron recently dropped his rankings for the LB position entering the 2025 NFL season and it was 49ers LB Fred Warner who took the top spot.
Cameron wrote, “Fresh off a $63 million extension, Warner stands alone in Tier 1. The four-time All-Pro has a long history of elite play in all facets, having charted in the top five among linebackers in each of the past five seasons.”
Warner has been the gold standard for consistency at the position since entering the NFL back in 2018, registering a minimum of 115 total tackles in seven straight years to start his career.
Cameron added, “Over that span, Warner has been far and away the most impressive linebacker in the NFL, generating a combined 93.3 PFF coverage grade and 91.6 PFF run-defense grade.”
Cameron putting Warner in a tier of his own at the LB position speaks to just how exceptional the veteran LB has been since stepping onto an NFL field.
Warner is the ideal build for a modern NFL linebacker, with great speed to excel in pass coverage but plays even faster between the ears by diagnosing rushing plays instantaneously — which allows him to shoot through openings and blow up rushing attacks while maintaining his gap integrity.
When you take into consideration that Warner was battling through a significant foot injury in 2024, one can do nothing but appreciate even more his outstanding production with 131 total tackles, four forced fumbles, two interceptions, and one sack on the year.
Speaking of Warner’s durability, the veteran backer has played a minimum of 16 games in all seven seasons of his NFL career. Essentially, he continues to set the gold standard for both on-field performance and availability — which has helped anchor one of the league’s best defensive units over the last seven seasons.
Warner’s Leadership Will Be Relied Upon Again in 2025
Remember when I mentioned the handful of departures to this Niners’ roster earlier? Well, the loss of Dre Greenlaw, Talanoa Hufanga, Charvarius Ward, and Javon Hargrave means Warner’s leadership will be even more crucial to the 49ers success in 2025 while the new additions to this unit get acclimated to Robert Salah’s scheme.
San Francisco focused heavily on addressing the front seven this offseason, which culminated with general manager John Lynch adding players like Georgia EDGE Mykel Williams, Texas DT Alfred Collins, Oklahoma State LB Nick Martin, and Western Kentucky CB Upton Stout in the 2025 NFL Draft.
The 49ers defense was still a solid group last year with Warner and Nick Bosa leading the charge, but dropped from fourth in the league in takeaways in 2023 to 20th in 2024.
Warner will look to continue to build upon a Hall of Fame caliber resume in 2025.
