Dee Winters NFL Draft 2023: Scouting Report for San Francisco 49ers' LB
HEIGHT: 5'11"
WEIGHT: 227
HAND: 8⅝"
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ARM: 31⅝"
WINGSPAN: 75⅜"
40-YARD DASH: 4.49
3-CONE: TBD
SHUTTLE: 4.46
VERTICAL: 30.5"
BROAD: 9'8"
POSITIVES
– Impressive speed for a linebacker.
– Comes downhill in a hurry when blitzing and has some pop at the point of contact.
– Has good sideline-to-sideline range and can chase down running backs to save touchdowns.
– In zone coverage, he doesn't take the cheese and is decent at reading the quarterback's eyes.
NEGATIVES
– Undersized for an NFL linebacker.
– Instincts aren't up to snuff, as he'll often fit to the wrong gap against the run and has mental lapses in coverage that leave his man open.
– Gets kicked out of his gap by offensive linemen working up to the second level and against good blocking tight ends.
– Doesn't throttle and break down when tackling in space or against athletic quarterbacks in the backfield, leading to misses.
2022 STATS
– 15 G, 79 total tackles (48 solo), 14.5 TFL, 7.5 sacks, 1 INT (1 TD), 2 PD
NOTES
– Born October 17, 2000
– A 3-star recruit in the 2019 class, No. 693 overall, No. 38 athlete, per 247 Sports composite rankings
– No major injuries
– 38 career starts
– 2022 Honors: Team captain, First-Team All-Big 12 (coaches, AP)
OVERALL
Dee Winters' game is primarily based on speed. Against the run, he can come downhill and shoot gaps to make tackles for loss as well as show off some impressive sideline-to-sideline range and make chase-down tackles. He won't get beat deep in coverage and could be effective in playing Tampa 2.
However, Winters' instincts and football IQ appears to be an issue. Far too often, he'd end up covering grass when playing zone and struggled with his run fits. It also doesn't help that he's undersized and gets stuck on blocks against the run, leading to him getting kicked out of his gap.
The TCU product does have some experience playing special teams and has the profile of someone who could carve out a role there, given his linear speed and physicality, as that's going to be his best chance at making a 53-man roster as a rookie. He also showed up in big moments, having his best game of the season against Michigan in the College Football Playoff semifinals.
GRADE: 5.5 (Backup/Draftable, 6th-7th rounder)
OVERALL RANK: 253
POSITION RANK: LB17
PRO COMPARISON: Wesley Woodyard
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