SANTA CLARA — He entered college as a wide receiver but made the switch to defense at the suggestion of his head coach.
Then-TCU linebacker Dee Winters spent a lot of time watching 49ers All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner, studying and admiring his game, as he made the full-time transition to the other side of the ball.
So, of course, one of the first things that crossed Winters’ mind after getting the call from the 49ers during the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft was that he and Warner would become teammates.
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Then, it happened.
Winters arrived at team headquarters for the first time and received a pleasant surprise.
“I walked in the locker room and he was walking out, and he said, ‘Dee Winters!’ And I was like, ‘Wow,’” Winters said of his first brush with Warner.
“I was a little fan boy in college. I was a little star struck at first. Coming in after watching him for three years in college. Once that barrier broke down and I got confidence, we started talking a little more. It’s still going.”
San Francisco 49ers
TCU coach Gary Patterson had a history of converting star offensive players from high school into NFL-worthy defensive players, including pass-rusher Jerry Hughes and linebacker Ty Summers.
Winters was a prolific receiver at tiny Burton High, 85 miles west of Houston. He willingly moved full-time to defense because his coach made the case that it provided Winters with his best opportunity to get on the field.
Winters quickly developed into a three-time captain at TCU and a prospect the 49ers knew could make a contribution early in his NFL career with his 4.49 speed in the 40-yard dash.
Indeed, Winters was a core special-teams contributor as a rookie. He played just 60 snaps of defense while appearing in 15 regular-season games.
After one season, Winters has worked himself into position with a strong offseason and a good start at training camp to earn a significantly larger role in his second year in the league.
“When you go through your rookie year sometimes things click for guys and I think being behind guys like Dre (Greenlaw) and Fred, being able to watch how they work,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said. “He's kind of cloned himself after those guys, just the work ethic being a pro and just so dialed-in and locked into everything.”
Warner is a three-time All-Pro whose value to the 49ers reaches far beyond what he does on the field. He is not only a vocal leader but also sets the tone for his teammates even when he does not say a word.
“I could use him for every example,” Winters said. “He’s a guy who’s all-ball. He goes out there and makes plays. Everybody loves him. Why can’t that be me? It makes me want to implement those things in my game — make plays on the field and do everything right off the field.”
Winters has done a lot right from the moment he arrived in the NFL, too.
He received offseason praise from Warner, who remarked that Winters might have been the 49ers’ best player through the entire offseason.
“I feel like he’s come a long way since last year,” Warner said in June. “I remember he came in as a rookie and was struggling to learn the plays and trying to get in shape and all of those little things you got to learn as a professional.”
When Winters came up with an interception in the end zone during the 49ers’ mandatory minicamp, Warner and Greenlaw were among those who reacted enthusiastically.
“I make a play and everyone gets hyped up,” Winters said. “That gets me going and makes other people want to make plays. It definitely felt good to get recognized by the vets and see them celebrating me.”
Although he was drafted as a linebacker, Winters played mostly nickel back as part of TCU’s 3-3-5 defense. Upon arriving with the 49ers, he was introduced to the challenges of playing in the box and taking on offensive linemen.
“My head was on a swivel every day, all day,” he said. “And then trying to balance my role and follow the vets, it was a lot. This year, I have a good grasp of my role, what I need to do, how to be a pro and looking toward Fred and all those guys.”
Winters said he believes he now has a good grasp of the defense and has made strides in recognizing offensive formations, reading keys and getting off blocks. He does not feel as overwhelmed in his second training camp as he was a year ago, he said.
“I came in with a lot of confidence,” Winters said. “Everything isn't new to me. We are still running the same scheme, the same plays. I think over time, getting those reps for a full year and coming back, consistently watching Fred and Dre, gave me a bunch of confidence to play fast. And I think that’s why I’m excelling right now.”
The door is open for Winters to make an impact from the opening week of the regular season with Greenlaw expected to miss at least a month as he recovers from a torn Achilles tendon.
Veteran pickup De’Vondre Campbell is the leading candidate to join Warner in the starting lineup during Greenlaw’s absence. At the very least, Winters can factor into the equation when the 49ers are in their base defense.
“My time is going to come,” Winters said. “And I just have to capitalize on it when I get that opportunity.”