Dre Greenlaw’s suspension is a setback for the San Francisco 49ers, but it also hands the team a clear look at what could be next. Rookie Jaden Dugger, who has been working as the starting SAM linebacker, is set to slide into a far more central job with Greenlaw unavailable.
That means Dugger is likely to make his first start at WILL in Week 6 and play most of the snaps. It’s a meaningful shift for a player whose usage has bounced around depending on game flow.
He was on the field for 55.7% of the snaps in the 49ers’ Week 1 blowout of the Los Angeles Rams, then dropped to 30.5% in Week 2 and 37.9% in Week 3. In the next game, he was down to just 15 snaps and 22.7% overall.
When Greenlaw has been out, though, Dugger has shown a different ceiling. He logged a career-high 47 snaps and 75% of the snaps in that game, which is a much bigger workload than the SAM spot typically offers.
San Francisco could have stayed with Dugger at SAM and turned to Garrett Wallow for more of the heavy lifting, which was the setup earlier in the year when Greenlaw went down. But Wallow is also expected to miss time because of an injury, clearing the path for the rookie to get a real shot as a full-time starter.
That opportunity fits the profile Dugger brought with him from Louisiana. As a former fifth-round pick, he was valued for his versatility, lining up on the edge, at linebacker and even at safety in college.
The 49ers have already leaned on that flexibility in a limited way. Now he gets a chance to narrow the focus and settle into one position.
Week 5 may have been the best game of Dugger’s NFL career, and he handled the new role well. His athleticism stands out, and the path forward is obvious if he keeps building on it. If he plays well enough to make a real difference and looks like the guy who can grow into next season’s job, the 49ers may not have much reason to go back to Greenlaw this offseason.
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