The San Francisco 49ers’ prospects on defense for the 2025 season already seem a fair bit brighter following the return of Robert Saleh of coordinator, but it will take several reinforcements on the personnel side for this group to return to the ranks of the best in the NFL next season.
And it would be no surprise to see San Francisco bring across some members of Saleh’s defense from his time with the New York Jets to help fortify some areas of need.
Though the 49ers have the best linebacker in the game in Fred Warner, coming off another first-team All-Pro season despite playing most of 2024 with a fracture in his ankle, they would potentially benefit from some help at that spot.
Dre Greenlaw could depart in free agency and, even if he does return, there is no guarantee he will be the same player following the Achilles tear he suffered in Super Bowl 58. Greenlaw wasn’t even able to play a full game during his attempt to return from the injury late last season.
It makes sense, therefore, that ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler pointed to the 49ers as a team to watch for Jets linebacker Jamien Sherwood in free agency.
Fowler wrote of Sherwood: “Three different personnel evaluators brought up Sherwood to me unprompted when discussing the free agency class. Watch for Atlanta, which features a lot of former Jets staffing, or San Francisco, where former Jets coach Robert Saleh now runs the defense.”
As he demonstrated in his time in New York under Saleh, Sherwood is a great fit for how the 49ers play defense. An aggressive, downhill linebacker with impressive speed to the ball, he led the NFL in solo tackles last season with 98, showcasing his playmaking potential with three pass breakups, two sacks and 10 tackles for loss.
Sherwood tied for the 10th-most run stops that represented a failure for the offense among all linebackers, per Pro Football Focus, as he registered 34.
While coverage is not his strongest suit, he did finish 13th of 31 linebackers targeted at least 25 times in ‘points saved’ in pass defense, according to Sports Info Solutions, indicating some potential in that area.
Still only 25, Sherwood has definite room to grow, the problem for the 49ers is that Fowler’s comments suggest they will likely face heavy competition for his services.
In an offseason in which they may make Brock Purdy one of the highest-paid players in football, reluctance on the 49ers’ part to pay up for a linebacker would be understandable. Dee Winters, a sixth-round pick in 2023, has shown significant signs of promise, while there is the option they could bring Greenlaw back on a one-year ‘prove-it’ deal.
But Saleh’s defenses have traditionally featured dominant front sevens. San Francisco did not have one in 2024, and acquiring an ascending talent like Sherwood could be a smart way to ensure that changes next season.