SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The San Francisco 49ers drafted linebacker Nick Martin in the third round in April, seemingly to replace Dre Greenlaw. But it was obvious back in offseason workouts that third-year veteran Dee Winters had something to say about that and his actions have spoken loudly the first two days of training camp.

Winters had a lightning-fast interception, jumping a slant route against Brock Purdy on Tuesday, and he continued to read the offense well and explode to the ball and its carriers on Wednesday. Granted, pads don’t go on until Monday, but one of the best linebackers in the league is impressed.

“I’ve seen a lot of growth, honestly,” teammate Fred Warner said. “I’ve seen a guy who’s ready to take that next step. You know, Dee has flashed in a big way through his first two seasons. And I think Year 3 is that year where it’s like, ‘Man, I know the system. I know what I needed to do in the offseason. And now it’s time for me to take control and really put it on tape.’ I’m excited for Dee, really.”

Winters said he has followed Warner’s example on and off the field, and agreed that this is his time.

“Nutrition was a huge transformation for me when I got here,” Winters said after practice on Wednesday. “Just seeing guys like Fred, you know, he always talked about being a pro and the first thing he said was ‘take care of your body.’”

The 5-foot-11 Winters has actually lost a few pounds from his college weight of 227, but has a lot more muscle now.

As far as Greenlaw, it may not seem like the greatest pep talk in the world, but it meant a lot to Winters when the veteran pulled him aside at the end of last season.

“He told me, ‘Hey, let’s go do it,’ and that kind of motivated me to, you know, take this year very seriously and take advantage of this opportunity,” Winters said.

Greenlaw wound up only playing two games last year after coming back from a torn Achilles, and the 49ers hoped to bring the free agent back before he signed with the Denver Broncos. He is a hard player to replace, but coach Kyle Shanahan liked what he has seen from Winters so far — after he was slowed last year by a concussion and ankle and neck injuries (but still played in 15 games).

“I thought he had a hell of an (offseason), showed that he was capable of doing this, and we just want to see him continually get better at it, be consistent,” Shanahan said. “Hopefully, he has good luck of avoiding any injuries. But Dee’s a guy we believe can be a hell of a player. We’re just hoping he gets there.”

The interception on Tuesday was thanks to Winters remembering a formation from offseason workouts, and he continues to study and watch film to anticipate where he should be. And that’s just for practices.

“I’m very comfortable now,” Winters said. “I mean, there’s still some times where I see different formations. You know, practicing against Kyle’s offense, you never really know — it’s always something new every day. But I would rather the offense gets me in practice than in the game.

“So I appreciate Kyle for that.”

Shanahan likely appreciates that Winters was a do-everything offensive playmaker who once scored eight touchdowns in a game at Burton (Texas) High before focusing on defense at TCU. The downhill speed translated in high school, and it still does.

“Hopefully he can continue to stay healthy and absorb every single one of these reps and learn all the nuance that’s required to play linebacker,” defensive coordinator Robert Saleh said. “I think if he does, he’s going to be a fun player to watch.”

Martin is sidelined with a thumb injury, and Winters, a 2023 sixth-round pick, said he is looking forward to the competition when the rookie returns.

“I am here for Nick if he ever needs any help,” Winters said, “but at the end of the day it’s competition and I am very excited for it.”

Extra points

• The play of camp so far was turned in Wednesday on an ill-advised deep throw into triple coverage by Mac Jones. Isaiah Neyor went up and fought off Jason Pinnock, Dallis Flowers and Darrell Luter for the reception. The undrafted rookie then posed for the roaring fans in attendance.

The 6-foot-4, 218-pound speedster (4.4 40-yard dash) has always looked the part but went to three colleges in five years (Wyoming, Texas and Nebraska) and never matched the 878-yard, 12-touchdown season he enjoyed in 2021 at Wyoming.

Neyoooor in the aiiiiir ✈️ pic.twitter.com/asj9GVADMz

— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) July 24, 2025

• Left tackle Trent Williams said Wednesday that “it sucks” to go against first-round pick Mykel Williams in practice.

“Mykel’s a huge dude,” Williams said. “You generally don’t see guys that size on the edge. It sucks having to base block guys with arms as long as your legs. I think he has a chance to be a really good player in this NFL. I think he has a chance to be dominant.”

Trent Williams says “it sucks” going against rookie Mykel Williams in practice. #49ers pic.twitter.com/bKD9fOx2jr

— Vic Tafur (@VicTafur) July 24, 2025

The 37-year-old Williams got some time to hang out with the younger Williams in Cabo before training camp. The rookie asked if he could use the veteran’s plane to go to Cabo, and Trent said he was planning to be out there around the same time so they could fly down together.

Do teammates usually ask to borrow his plane?

“Yeah,” Williams said, smiling. “That’s probably one of the most frequently asked questions that I get.”

(Photo of Dee Winters: D. Ross Cameron / Imagn Images)

Vic Tafur is a senior writer for The Athletic covering the San Francisco 49ers and the NFL. He previously wrote on the Las Vegas/Oakland Raiders for 15 years for The Athletic and San Francisco Chronicle and covered the Warriors and 49ers before that. He also likes to write about boxing and mixed martial arts. Follow Vic on Twitter @VicTafur