49ers second year players have shown to be important pieces for their success in years past. Dee Winters, Ji’Ayir Brown, and Darrell Luter Jr. will all be called upon to take on a much larger role in their second year in San Francisco. The 49ers have established a draft system in which they like to take players who do not have to come in and start right away. This allows for the player to sit and learn behind a veteran in Year One all the while contributing on special teams. The hope is that in doing this, their second year players will have a much better chance to succeed both physically and mentally when their number is called.
49ers rookie LB Dee Winters has some real sideline to sideline speed 👀 pic.twitter.com/UQGpJ2O8a3
— Brad (@Graham_SFN) August 15, 2023
Dee Winters Ready To Be 49ers Next Great Linebacker
Dee Winters, a 2023 6th-round draft pick, had an accomplished college career highlighted by a defensive MVP award in the CFP Semifinal vs Michigan. He finished his 4-year college career at TCU with 246 total tackles and 33.5 tackles for loss.
The 49ers did not ask Winters to do much in Year One, allowing him to contribute on special teams while learning from the best linebacker corpse in the league. The second year will be an important one for Winters, with his number likely to be called upon with the Dre Greenlaw injury and Oren Burks along with Demetrious Flannigan-Fowles heading into free agency.
Winters was thought to be a little undersized coming out of college standing at 5’11”. But the 49ers coaching staff saw enough play-making abilities during practices over the course of the season to have confidence heading into his second year. Former defensive coordinator expressed excitement in Winters abilities when he stated in a press conference, “I think he’s gotten so much better. I think [linebackers coach] Johnny [Holland] has done a tremendous job in just the teaching and the progression [for Winter],” Winters looks poised to step in and add to the legacy of great linebacker play in San Francisco.
Darrell Luter Jr. Ready To Take Starting Outside Cornerback Spot
Darrell Luter Jr. was a 5th-round draft pick for the 49ers in the 2023 NFL draft. Luter Jr. spent three seasons with the University of South Alabama, tallying 16 pass deflections and five interceptions during his tenure. He spent his first two years of college attending community college in Mississippi.
Luter Jr. caught the coaching staff’s eye as early as rookie minicamp, as he smothered every receiver that he went up against. Luter Jr. suffered a hyperextended knee during OTAs which derailed what looked to be a promising rookie campaign. When he returned midway through the season he took on a special teams role, but look for him to compete for a starting spot in his second year.
Per the athletic, GM John Lynch talked about Luter Jr. at the combine when he said, “He’s a guy we like—obviously along with [Ward] and Deommodore,”. Luter Jr. is a long, athletic, and wise cornerback capable of taking over the reins on the outside. This was a spot previously held by Ambry Thomas last year, but expect a competition during training camp in which no one inside the 49ers organization would be surprised if Luter Jr. came out on top entering his second year.
Ji’Ayir Brown Looking To Take Free Safety Spot For Years To Come
Ji’Ayir Brown was a 3rd-round pick out of Penn State for the 49ers in the 2023 NFL Draft. Brown spent his first 2 years of college attending Lackawanna Community College before transferring to Penn State. At Penn State, Brown tallied 153 tackles and 10 interceptions during his three years on campus.
Ji’Ayir Brown was primarily a special teams player before starting strong safety Talanoa Hufanga went down with injury midway through the season. Brown had stayed prepared and was ready to step in when the injury occurred. While filling in for Hufanga Brown rarely heard his name called on broadcasts, which is a good sign for a safety meaning he was not getting beat deep. He is also a willing and aggressive tackler who is not scared to come down into the box to help in the run-game.
The 49ers coaching staff had high praise for Brown even before the injury occurred and looked forward to him getting his chance. Brown will look to solidify a starting spot next to the returning Hufanga this upcoming season. If he continues the success that he had last season into his second year, it would not be a surprise to see him in the back-end for years to come.
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