Fred Warner still dominates ESPN rankings despite injury-ravaged season

The San Francisco 49ers have a lot to be excited about ahead of the 2026 season. San Francisco has a dynamic duo of coordinators who should give the team a schematic advantage. It will also help to get one of their best defensive players back fully healthy after an injury-plagued 2025 campaign.

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler released a list of the top 10 off-ball linebackers in the NFL in his latest article. It is a continuation of ESPN’s annual series where they poll league executives, scouts, and coaches to compile their rankings.

49ers linebacker Fred Warner earned the top spot in ESPN’s rankings despite missing most of the 2025 season with an injury.

“Rarely does a player miss most of a season due to injury and maintain his standing in our top 10,” Fowler wrote. “Warner, however, earned around 70% of the first-place votes. It was a slight drop from the previous year, but his status in the position hierarchy remains clear. Warner has been an All-Pro four times since 2020, second only to edge rusher Myles Garrett (five) during that span. ”

Warner suffered a dislocated ankle in Week 6 that was initially ruled to be a season-ending injury. However, Warner apparently had a chance to play if San Francisco managed to beat Seattle in the divisional round.

Still, Warner made a big impact on the field when he was healthy early in the season. He logged 51 tackles, three passes defensed, two forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery in just six games.

“He diagnoses faster than anyone,” an NFL coordinator said. “That’s really his secret sauce. Processes the game at an incredibly fast level.”

The 2026 season is setting up to be a bounce-back year for the 49ers in general. Getting Warner back in the mix, alongside a handful of other injured stars, could lead to big improvements later this fall.

It will be fascinating to see how the 49ers look when training camp kicks off later this month.

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