Fred Warner’s spot in NFL top 100 players was well-deserved

49ers LB Fred Warner has quickly became the prototypical modern linebacker.

It didn’t take long after the 49ers selected Fred Warner in the third round of the 2018 NFL draft for the linebacker to make an impression. He earned the starting middle linebacker spot and the green dot on his helmet as the defensive signal caller as a rookie. His combination of athleticism and an extremely high football IQ made him an integral part of a rebuilding 49ers defense.

After quarterbacking one of the NFL’s best defenses in his second season, Warner earned the No. 70 spot on the NFL’s top 100 players list.

While he wasn’t given Pro Bowl or All-Pro honors last season, it became clear just how vital Warner was to the 49ers’ defensive success. He was the team’s leading tackler with 118 stops. His 7.0 tackles for loss were the third-most on the team, and he recorded 3.0 sacks. His nine pass breakups tied for second-most on the club. He also had one of their 12 interceptions, and one of their three pick-6s.

One of the question marks about Warner coming out of BYU was his ability to stay on the field for three downs. He hasn’t had any issues with that. Warner in his two seasons has led the 49ers defense in snaps played. While he doesn’t fit the prototype of a hulking, run-stopping linebacker we became accustomed to through most of the NFL’s existence, Warner is suited perfectly for the modern game.

He isn’t an elite run stopper, but he’s good enough to stay on the field in run situations. Where he excels, and the reason he’s so valuable in today’s league, is in coverage. Pro Football Focus gave him the 10th-best coverage grade among linebackers last season. Warner’s athleticism allows him to match up against tight ends, running backs and wide receivers.

Having a player with his skill set roaming the middle of the first and second level is paramount to combating some of the passing concepts that have begun taking over the NFL. Warner’s ability to cover a variety of positions was a big reason San Francisco produced the NFL’s best pass defense last season. He wasn’t a household name, although an interception of Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl might’ve changed that, but another year of ascension could make him a consensus pick as one of the two or three best off-ball linebackers in the league.

There are a slew of talented players on the 49ers’ defense. Warner hasn’t turned that unit around by himself. However, his value is impossible to ignore, and that’s why he deserved to debut in the top 70 of the NFL’s top 100 players list.