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It’s not hard to watch San Francisco 49ers linebacker Fred Warner play his position and determine that he’s one of the most talented players at his position in the NFL.
A ranking from Pro Football Focus ditches the ‘one of’ qualifier and ranked Warner as the No. 1 linebacker in the NFL. It isn’t just that he ranks at the top of their list of 32 − he sits alone in Tier 1 of their ranking.
Via PFF:
Fresh off a $63 million extension, Warner stands alone in Tier 1. The four-time All-Pro has a long history of elite play in all facets, having charted in the top five among linebackers in each of the past five seasons.
Over that span, Warner has been far and away the most impressive linebacker in the NFL, generating a combined 93.3 PFF coverage grade and 91.6 PFF run-defense grade.
Warner had a ‘down’ year by his standards last year because he played through a broken ankle and dealt with some issues in front of him on the defensive line. He still managed to grade out at No. 2 among LBs in overall grade, No. 9 in run defense and No. 2 in coverage.
There is no better example of the prototypical modern LB than Warner. He’s can play the run downhill like a burly old-school LB, but he also has the safety-like athleticism to defend outside runs and play in coverage against running backs, tight ends and wide receivers. His presence has allowed the 49ers to control the middle of the field consistently in an era where offenses are trying hard to utilize that area of the field. Warner patrolling the middle forces quarterbacks and offensive coordinators to change how they attack the 49ers’ defense.
The NFL features a ton of talented linebackers, but PFF is right to put Warner in a class by himself.
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