How 49ers LB Dre Greenlaw is Ascending Into an All Pro
How great does the extension of Dre Greenlaw look like for the 49ers?
Questions of his return in 2023 were instantly quelled at the beginning of the season when the 49ers locked in Greenlaw for the foreseeable future. Greenlaw has proven to be a solid starting linebacker with elite moments.
However, it wasn't looking like that early on. Greenlaw was undisciplined in several games. Whether it was penalties called on him for late hits or breaking his defensive assignment, Greenlaw was out of control. You had to wonder if the 49ers were a little too quick to extend.
Suddenly in the last few games, he started to clean it up. He's not registering penalties like he used to nor putting himself in compromising positions to get one. Now that he has dialed it back, the Pro Bowl level that he is capable of is being put on display. But I would even argue that he is going beyond that and is ascending into an All Pro. It really is all thanks to him cleaning up his undisciplined performances.
“A few penalties, they’ll slow you down," said DeMeco Ryans on Greenlaw's improvement. "He's played smarter in those situations, most of the time those plays will come up when he's been around the quarterback and Dre is running as fast as he can to get there, and he just has to play smarter, which he's done over the past few weeks. He's played smarter knowing when to ease up and when to be able to just jump over the top if that's the case."
The talent has always been there for Greenlaw. 2019 he showed a great peak at what he is capable of. In his starting debut back in 2019 against the Seahawks, he registered a clutch interception on Russell Wilson that ended up setting a potential game-winning field goal. After that, Greenlaw became a vicious presence as he played the perfect complimentary to Fred Warner who had a breakout year himself in 2019.
Greenlaw has just been slowed up by multiple injuries after his fantastic rookie year. He hasn't been able to build himself up to gain any traction towards creating momentum. Now that he is healthy this year, the stellar talent that he is capable of is being put on display. That is also probably why he was playing a bit out of control in the first half of the season. He is just so amped up to prove himself and others that he can do it, so finding that self-control could be difficult.
“I think Dre is playing as one of the best linebackers in the NFL right now," said Ryans. "First off, when you talk about the speed that play where he's running down Tyreek [Hill], show me another linebacker doing that. The interceptions he's made, just his play is just all over the field, the tackling ability in space. He's probably one of the most confident guys in space in tackling who I have confidence in when the ball is thrown and there's a lot of space. If Dre is out there, there's no doubt in my mind that he's getting that guy down."
Unfortunately for Greenlaw, he is not a recognizable name yet. He isn't a "household" player like Warner is, so a Pro Bowl nod, especially All Pro, will be tough to attain. But it doesn't matter. His performance speaks for itself. Any team would pay top dollar for him if he hit the free market in March. All it is going to take is a high-level outing from in the playoffs when everyone is watching.
Then, and only then, will people remember the name Dre Greenlaw.
