The San Francisco 49ers are reportedly moving on from linebacker Dee Winters.
The 49ers are trading Winters to the Dallas Cowboys, according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, who reported that Dallas is acquiring the linebacker to address a “huge need” at the position. Schultz later added that San Francisco will receive a fifth-round pick in exchange for Winters.
For the 49ers, this is not just a throwaway draft-week move. Winters started 17 games last season and gave San Francisco legitimate defensive snaps, but the trade suggests the 49ers viewed him as more valuable as a draft asset than as part of their 2026 linebacker rotation.
The move also gives San Francisco another pick during a draft in which the franchise has already shown a willingness to maneuver for extra capital.
49ers Get Draft Capital for Dee Winters
A fifth-round pick is a meaningful return for a linebacker whose role may have been reduced in San Francisco’s defense.
Winters, 25, had his biggest NFL opportunity during the 2025 season, finishing with 101 tackles while taking on a larger role for the 49ers. He was not merely a depth piece, which is why the Cowboys’ interest makes sense. Dallas gets a young linebacker with starting experience, while the 49ers get a Day 3 pick for a player who may not have been headed for the same workload.
That is the key from San Francisco’s side.
The 49ers still have Fred Warner as the centerpiece of the linebacker room, and their broader roster picture made Winters less untouchable than his 2025 snap count might suggest. If the coaching staff saw other options pushing for snaps, turning Winters into a fifth-rounder gives San Francisco more flexibility rather than waiting until later for his value to decline.
This is the kind of trade the 49ers have often been willing to make when they believe they can replace a player internally.
Dee Winters’ PFF Ranking Shows the Trade-Off for San Francisco
Winters’ Pro Football Focus profile helps explain why this move can be viewed both ways.
He earned a 60.4 overall defensive grade from PFF in 2025, ranking 46th among 88 qualified linebackers. His best area was coverage, where his 62.0 grade ranked 29th among qualified linebackers. PFF graded him 55th in run defense and 72nd as a pass rusher at the position.
That is a useful but uneven profile.
For Dallas, the coverage number is probably part of the appeal. Linebackers who can hold up in space have real value, and Winters has enough athleticism to fit what the Cowboys needed.
For the 49ers, the full profile makes the fifth-round return easier to justify. Winters was productive, but his PFF grades do not suggest San Francisco is moving an irreplaceable front-seven player. The 49ers are getting an asset for a linebacker who had experience, athletic traits and flashes, but not a locked-in long-term role.
Winters did show upside. His best moments included a strong late-season performance against the Indianapolis Colts, when he returned an interception for a touchdown and earned one of the best PFF grades of his young career.
Those flashes are why Dallas was willing to give up a pick. They are also why San Francisco was able to get something back.
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