The 49ers left OTAs with one rookie creating the loudest buzz, and it wasn’t one of their higher picks. That distinction went to fifth-round linebacker Jaden Dugger, who stood out enough to draw attention from the coaching staff and from around the league, according to NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Ryan Fowler, who included Dugger among 13 OTA standouts.
That kind of reaction fits the profile. Dugger is a 6-foot-5, 240-pound inside linebacker who looks more like a defensive end, and he didn’t even get a combine invite.
He began his college career at Georgetown as a safety, then transferred to Louisiana and moved to linebacker. Once there, he put together a huge 2025 season with 125 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, 4 sacks, 3 pass breakups and 1 interception.
The 49ers didn’t draft him by accident. They believe his body type and instincts make him a fit inside, and they see a player with the kind of traits that remind them of K.J.
Wright, the longtime Seahawks linebacker who now coaches linebackers for San Francisco. Wright identified Dugger before the draft and pushed for the team to take him.
And this doesn’t sound like a player who needs years to marinate. Dugger was productive in college, he turned heads in OTAs, and there’s a real chance he has already found the position that unlocks him.
That matters because the 49ers may need him sooner rather than later. Last season, Dee Winters started 17 games and finished with 101 tackles, giving the team a steady presence at linebacker.
This offseason, though, the 49ers sent Winters to the Dallas Cowboys for a fifth-round pick, No. 152, then used pick No. 154 on Dugger. In effect, they turned Winters into Dugger.
That move says plenty about how the 49ers view the rookie. They were willing to part with an established starter just entering his prime to get him.
And the round doesn’t scare them off, either. San Francisco has a history of finding real value in Round 5, with names like Greenlaw, George Kittle, Deommodore Lenoir, Talanoa Hufanga and Colton McKivitz on that list.
There’s also a path to playing time. Greenlaw started only 7 games last season and had 43 tackles in his lone year with the Broncos, and he hasn’t looked like the same player since tearing his Achilles in the Super Bowl two years ago. He’s 29 now, and it’s hard to picture him playing all 17 games.
If he misses time, Garret Wallow is one option. He started two playoff games for the 49ers and held up well enough.
But Dugger is the one with the upside that could change the picture. He already flashed in college, and if that carryover continues through training camp and the preseason, the 49ers may have a rookie linebacker starting before the season is over.
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Mac Jones, Christian Kirk, Demarcus Robinson, Jake Brendel and JiAyir Brown all sit in different spots on the roster, but each comes with a reason the 49ers may eventually move on. Jones still looks like a player whose best path is elsewhere, Kirk is on a short-term deal, Robinson has not given the club much reason to bet bigger, Brendels role is tied to a position the team may want to upgrade, and Browns uneven run has kept his future from feeling secure. [Read more 🡒]
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Now the more immediate roster question may be on the defensive side, where the 49ers are still viewed as needing another edge rusher to work alongside Nick Bosa. That has kept them tied to speculation around a possible Steelers trade, with the idea being that Pittsburgh could be open to moving a pass rusher if the right partner emerges. For San Francisco, it is the kind of opportunity that can change the shape of a defense quickly, even if the name attached to it has yet to come into focus. [Read more 🡒]
Brandon Aiyuk Exit Buzz Just Put 49ers Fans On Edge
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Salary cap concerns are part of the equation, along with the obvious uncertainty around Aiyuks situation and contract status, which makes any move feel complicated rather than clean. If Dallas decides the price and risk are too steep, the Cowboys could simply pivot to other options, including rookie Ryan Flournoy, leaving the Aiyuk talk as another reminder that this situation is far from settled. [Read more 🡒]