Five years ago at the 2019 NFL Scouting Combine, linebacker Dre Greenlaw found himself in an amusingly mistaken situation, convinced that the San Francisco 49ers had no intention of drafting him.
After posting a 33'' vertical jump, a 9'9'' broad jump, 24 reps on the bench press and a total combine score of 54, the future 49ers starter wasn't pleased with the reaction he received from head coach Kyle Shanahan.
Greenlaw shared the story of his pre-draft interactions with San Francisco's coaching staff on Fred Warner's "The Warner House" podcast. Take a look at the linebackers' conversation about Greenlaw's time at the combine:
Warner: "Did you have an idea that you were going to be drafted to the 49ers?"
Greenlaw: "I did not think I was going to get drafted. Out of all the teams, all 32 teams, my brother asked me the day before the (draft) he said, 'Who do you not think you'll get drafted by?' I said, 'The 49ers.'
"When I left out the combine room and I just saw the look on Kyle Shanahan's face – it was like he had no happy expression. I saw (49ers former defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans) before, I knew 'Mec from the Senior Bowl, so I had chopped it up with him. Me and him connected fast, we were laughing, chopping it up, getting it right. During the combine, I saw him again and I'm talking to Kyle and everybody at the desk and Kyle had no smile, no facial expression.
"He said, 'Did you work hard? Could you work harder?' I was like, 'I think I worked hard, I did, yeah.' He said, 'Could you have worked harder?' And he's just drilling me with questions. So I looked at 'Mec, I just shook my head and I said 'Man, I'm sorry bro, it was nice knowing y'all.' And he said 'Alright, see you later... enjoy your backpack.' And I was like, I'm not going to this team, they're not going to come get me, and look what happened. Crazy."
Just a few months later, Greenlaw was selected by the 49ers with the 148th-overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. In his rookie year, Greenlaw started in 11 games for San Francisco, helped lead the team to Super Bowl LIV and earned a spot on the 2019 NFL All-Rookie Team.
Over his five-year stint in The Bay, Greenlaw has accumulated an impressive stat sheet, boasting 518 total tackles, 3.5 sacks, 10 QB hits, 17 passes defended, five interceptions and two defensive touchdowns. By the 2023 season, Shanahan couldn't help but sing Greenlaw's praises.
"Dre (Greenlaw) is one of the best players in the league," Shanahan said on NBC Sports Bay Area's 49ers Game Plan. "Dre is just a little different of an animal... He's a difference maker."
