At the linebacker position, San Francisco 49ers star Fred Warner is one of one.
You will find few in any doubt that Warner is the best linebacker in football, and that is exactly where the 49ers' All-Pro was ranked by ESPN following a poll NFL coaches, executives and scouts.
Warner is a player essentially without a weakness. He is great against the run, he can blitz and he is by far the premier coverage linebacker in the game.
It is his skills in coverage that are Warner's calling card. He has the athleticism to run with wide receivers in man coverage and demonstrates impeccable awareness in zone coverage to squeeze throwing windows and make life extremely difficult for opposing quarterbacks.
Warner possesses an all-round skill set that is unparalleled, and a rival coordinator summed it up perfectly in Jeremy Fowler's piece on the ranking of the top 10 linebackers in the league.
"He's like an elite quarterback in terms of managing the game," the coordinator said. "Checks, adjustments, unbelievable awareness and instincts. He allows the other 10 people around him to function at a high level collectively because of what he's able to do mentally."
The green dot wearer on the defense, Warner is the quarterback for the 49ers on that side of the ball.
Linebackers and safeties have traditionally been given the role of wearing the green dot and relaying the calls in from the sideline and the booth.
But nobody in the league plays the role of de-facto defensive quarterback quite like Warner, who was named first-team All-Pro for the third time in his career last season.
The 49ers' defense has long since been regarded as one led by its defensive front. Recently, a deep and talented secondary has become just as integral to their success.
Yet the one holding it all together is Warner. With running mate Dre Greenlaw a significant doubt to be healthy to start the season, Warner's challenge in continuing to do so may be slightly tougher. However, Warner's track record in producing play nobody at his position has been able to match suggests he will be more than up to the task.
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