Although no NFL team stays the same year-to-year, the San Francisco 49ers managed to keep a large majority of its veteran corps from Super Bowl LVIII intact headed into next season. Among that group of returning veteran playmakers is linebacker Fred Warner, who was one of three athletes league wide to earn unanimous All-Pro honors in 2023 after amassing 132 total tackles, 2.5 sacks, 11 passes defensed and four interceptions. He also earned a 90.0-overall defensive grade from Pro Football Focus, the second-highest mark amongst all linebackers, and logged 600-plus more defensive snaps than the linebacker with the No. 1-overall grade.
Given his tremendous statistical output, it should also come as no surprise that Warner has been tabbed by PFF as the top-ranked linebacker ahead of the 2024 campaign. He's owned the No. 1 spot on the outlet's list of "Top 32" linebackers in back-to-back years.
"Warner has been the gold standard at linebacker over the past four seasons, ranking as one of the position's 10 highest-graded players each year," PFF's Gordon McGuinness wrote. "His eight combined pass breakups and interceptions in the regular season and playoffs in 2023 were tied for the second most among linebackers."
A revamp to all three levels of the defense in free agency and the draft makes Warner's leadership all the more important to the team's success moving forward. He will lead a linebacker room that will likely be without Dre Greenlaw for at least a portion of the season as he recovers from a season-ending Achilles injury and a defense that added a number of starting-caliber players and depth pieces to the defensive line and secondary.
