NFL coordinator reveals area in which San Francisco 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw is a top-five player

It may be some time before the San Francisco 49ers see Dre Greenlaw back on the field in a regular-season game.

Greenlaw famously tore his Achilles in Super Bowl 58 in February, doing so while running onto the field in the second quarter.

He is a candidate to begin the season on the Physically Unable to Perform list, however, when Greenlaw does make his return , the 49ers will be getting a linebacker who is viewed by at least one rival coordinator as a top-five player in one specific area of the game.

Greenlaw was recently ranked ninth on ESPN's list of the top 10 linebackers in football, compiled by polling coaches, executives and scouts.

The former fifth-round pick earned a spot on the list despite his injury, with one person polled even ranking him as high as third in the NFL.

Underpinning that extremely high opinion of Greenlaw is praise for the awareness he consistently displays when playing alongside Fred Warner, who was unsurprisingly ranked as the best linebacker in the game.

One coordinator said of Greenlaw: "He has instincts in the run game, slipping blocks, knowing when he has to get over the top or anticipate the cut. "Top 5-7 in the game in play-action pass recognition."

Given Greenlaw practices against an offense that is one of the best in the game at play-action, it's easy to understand why he and Warner have become so adept at identifying and responding to it.

Greenlaw is an impressive coverage backer whose skills in that regard are somewhat overshadowed by the Warner's all-round brilliance.

But his level of play has certainly not gone unnoticed around the league, and there will likely be several teams keen to bid for his services if the 49ers allow Greenlaw to hit unrestricted free agency next offseason.

The amount of interest and the contract Greenlaw could be able to demand in 2025 will be contingent on how many games he plays in 2024 and how quickly he is able to get back to his best.

If he can do so in expedient fashion, Greenlaw could be much higher up next year's ranking and the Niners might have a very difficult challenge in keeping the partnership of Warner and Greenlaw together.

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