Dre Greenlaw’s performance at Will linebacker after Kwon Alexander went down with an injury in Week 9 last season was part of the reason San Francisco’s defense remained dominant during Alexander’s absence.
The strong showing from the fifth-round pick wasn’t enough to shake up the 49ers’ linebacking corps though according to head coach Kyle Shanahan.
Shanahan was asked after Saturday’s practice whether there would be a competition for the starting Will linebacker spot — the player on the weak side who typically stays on the field in nickel situations while the Sam linebacker on the strong side comes off the field. The head coach quickly denied any open competition at linebacker.
Kyle Shanahan said he doesn’t think there’s an open competition between Kwon Alexander and Dre Greenlaw for the "Will" linebacker spot. That spot is Alexander’s, but noted no spot is set in stone. #49ers
— Chris Biderman (@ChrisBiderman) August 15, 2020
San Francisco signed Alexander as a free agent last offseason to a four-year, $54 million deal. Shanahan indicated he was brought in specifically to fit at the Will spot.
It makes sense that the 49ers would want Alexander on the field as much as possible in passing situations. While Greenlaw had a strong rookie year and was the team’s best tackler at linebacker, Alexander is still their best in coverage at that spot.
He allowed a passer rating of 67.4 last season with no touchdowns and one interception in eight regular season games. He allowed one catch for every 11 snaps in coverage — which was the best rate on the team according to Pro Football Focus. While San Francisco has a trio of very good, versatile linebackers, Alexander is a cut above in coverage, which is why the club prefers to keep him on the field in those passing situations.
Greenlaw will still have a valuable role as the Sam linebacker, and he’s an exceptional insurance policy should Alexander become unavailable. Going into this season though the 49ers linebackers will look the same as they did last year. Their three starters were among the NFL’s best trios, so it makes sense the club wouldn’t make any changes.