Expect Winters to have a big season.
The 49ers might not need to draft Dre Greenlaw’s replacement, because they might have that player already.
Dee Winters is entering his third season and he could be ready to break out as a key starter for the 49ers.
The 49ers drafted Winters in Round 6 of the 2023 NFL Draft because he’s similar to Greenlaw. Meaning Winters is violent and extremely fast — he ran a 4.49 at the NFL Scouting Combine. He embodies the “all gas, no brake” mentality Robert Saleh wants to instill in the defense.
Last season, Winters had to take a back seat to veteran De’Vondre Campbell for most of the season even though Winters was better than Campbell. Turns out, Campbell quit the team mid-game when he finally got benched. So that’s probably why they started him for so long even though he wasn’t good.
So Winters played just 398 defensive snaps last season. And he played behind an awful defensive line that couldn’t stop the run, so he kept having to take on blocks from offensive linemen who are twice his size.
Now, the 49ers are revamping their defensive line. They’ve released Javon Hargrave, Maliek Collins and Leonard Floyd — three pass rushers who struggle to stop the run — and presumably will replace them with better run defenders. Guys who can tie up the offensive linemen and keep Winters clean so he can do what he does best — run and hit.
Expect Winters to have a big season.