Alas, most practice plays are whistled dead before players have a chance to score, but not to worry — 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh had already taken note of Winters’ latest progress.
“Just like any young player, the only way he’s going to get better is by reps,” Saleh said Thursday. “It just feels like every day, he’s learning something just by repetition. So, knock on wood, hopefully he can continue to stay healthy and absorb every single one of these reps and learn the nuance required to play linebacker.
“If he does, I think he’s going to be a fun player to watch.”
Only two defensive players, Fred Warner and Nick Bosa, remain with the 49ers from the last time Saleh was the team’s defensive coordinator (he left to be head coach of the New York Jets in early 2021). The 49ers picked Winters in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, so Saleh had to play catch-up over the past several months as he familiarized himself with the 24-year-old linebacker’s game.
On tape, Saleh was greeted with some undeniably impressive plays. There was the time in November 2024 when Winters blanketed former Seattle Seahawks receiver DK Metcalf — one of the NFL’s best athletes — for 25 yards before notching a pass breakup. There were plentiful displays of speed. Winters, after all, was a wide receiver in high school and recruited to TCU as a safety before he switched to linebacker. He has the background of a big speedster, which the 49ers crave at the linebacker position.