The 49ers selected talented linebacker Dee Winters from TCU No. 216 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft and already, he is garnering an impressive comparison.
John Lynch, the 49ers' general manager, likened Winters to another linebacker currently on San Francisco's roster: Dre Greenlaw.
"Dee kind of fits who we are," Lynch told reporters on April 29. "He is a player who drew some comparisons. Comparisons are dangerous because you have to go do it, but he has similar traits to [LB] Dre Greenlaw. A similar suddenness to his game."
Lynch added that because his daughter is a student at TCU, he was able to get a better look at who Winters was in the locker room and was why the 49ers opted to draft the 22-year-old.
"... Anyone who I would talk to would talk about Dee Winters as being a real leader on that team," Lynch continued. "He's another captain and the unequivocal leader for that defense and the voice of that defense.
"That carried weight as well and ultimately, we felt like Dee was just a guy we needed to bring in. We're really excited to take him."
It also is interesting to note that Winters is the first linebacker the 49ers have drafted since they selected Greenlaw in the fifth round back in 2019. With Winters, San Francisco is hoping to fill the void left by Azeez Al-Shair's departure in the offseason.
San Francisco 49ers
RELATED: 49ers pick TCU linebacker Dee Winters No. 216 overall
As the 49ers continue their offseason, it remains to be seen how San Francisco's new draft additions will pan out for a team with Super Bowl aspirations.
However if the team is able to tap into the talent they know these draft picks have, the sky is the limit for them and the 49ers as a whole.