SANTA CLARA, Calif. — It only took 15 plays for K.J. Wright to fall in love with Jaden Dugger.When Wright, the San Francisco 49ers’ first-year linebacker coach, flipped on Dugger’s film, he saw a 6-foot-5 linebacker who was fast, fluid and quickly diagnosed plays. That is, he saw himself.“We’re both tall,” Wright said Tuesday. “He’s faster than I am. He’s longer. I know I’m a long guy, but he’s got these long arms. But I really like a smart linebacker — guys who can see the game good, guys who can anticipate plays. And I saw that from Dugger.”
K.J. WrightHeight: 6-4Weight: 246Arm:: 34 ⅞Round: 4 (2011)
K.J. Wright’s newest pupil, Jaden DuggerHeight: 6-4 ¾Weight: 242Arm: 35Round: 5 (2026)
— Matt Barrows (@mattbarrows) April 25, 2026The 49ers’ top two linebacker spots are set this season: Fred Warner, fully recovered from last year’s ankle injury, is the middle linebacker, while Dre Greenlaw will be the playmaking weakside player.The third spot, however, is up for grabs. That’s the position the team calls the strongside linebacker, which this year could be a bit more unpredictable than it’s been in the past — lining up on the end of the line of scrimmage against tight ends and tackles on some snaps, and dropping into coverage on others.During his playing days, Wright noted the Seattle Seahawks moved him from weakside to strongside in 2020, a change he initially “hated.” But once he learned the new position, his size made him a natural fit. He called it the second-best season of his career, one in which he finished with both double-digit pass breakups and tackles for loss.“I think I was the only guy in the NFL who did that that year,” he said.That’s why he thinks Dugger could be a natural fit at the spot. Not only does he have the requisite size, but he also played safety for two college seasons before transitioning to linebacker.Now, the rookie, drafted in the middle of the fifth round, has an opportunity to be Wright’s first protege since he was promoted to linebackers coach. Though Wright cautioned that Dugger has plenty to learn, he said his “raw ability” is already evident.“I love that type of stuff,” Wright said. “I like a guy that I can groom, that I can mold, that I can build. And that I can teach to strike and use their hands. … He’s got a ways to go, obviously, but this guy’s gonna be a really special player. I’m excited for him.”Odds and ends• Offensive line coach Chris Foerster said the news that the Los Angeles Rams had acquired Myles Garrett was “a gut punch,” so much so that he came in early Tuesday to study game film on the NFL’s single-season sack champion.The tape was as impressive as he recalled, though he noted the 49ers have had to account for excellent Rams pass rushers in previous years: defensive tackle Aaron Donald until his retirement in 2024 and, most recently, Jared Verse, whom the Rams shipped to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for Garrett.“I’m not saying they’re the same guy,” Foerster said. “Myles Garrett is one of the all-time great pass rushers, an unbelievable talent. But it’s still an edge rusher that you have to account for.”• Dugger isn’t the only rookie linebacker Wright is excited about. The team also signed Larry Worth III last month after he impressed them during a minicamp tryout. Worth played safety at Arkansas but is transitioning to weakside linebacker in organized team activities.“He’s never played linebacker before,” Wright said. “But from where he was in college until now — it’s pretty impressive.”• Defensive line coach Kris Kocurek said the 49ers had draftable grades on the two rookie defensive tackles they signed as free agents, Bryson Eason and James Thompson Jr. The team’s assistant defensive line coach, Greg Scruggs, coached Thompson at Wisconsin while the team brought Eason in on an official pre-draft visit.“To be able to get both of them in the same year is really kind of rare,” Kocurek said. “We’re really looking forward to getting pads on ‘em in (training camp) and seeing if they can separate themselves and show a skillset that says they can come in and contribute as a rookie.”• The 49ers signed former safety Ashtyn Davis to a one-year deal. To make room, they waived running back Jermar Jefferson, whom they signed last week. Davis, 29, was a third-round pick by the New York Jets in 2020.
