“Some critical battles will be played out in the 2026 NFL Training Camps. These battles will have a direct impact on your IDP rosters and draft position. Multiple teams will watch for key moments in camp and preseason games. This will be the key to setting their depth charts accordingly in all IDP positions.”
Check out these articles for other breakdowns of training camp battles!
2026 IDP Training Camp Battles to Watch for Fantasy Football – Cardinals Linebackers – IDP+
2026 IDP Training Camp Battles to Watch for Fantasy Football – Buffalo Bills Linebackers – IDP+
2026 IDP Training Camp Battles to Watch for Fantasy Football – Chicago Bears Linebackers – IDP+
2026 IDP Training Camp Battles to Watch for Fantasy Football – New Orleans Saints Linebackers – IDP+
Our fourth key training camp battle – Starting LB for the 49ers
Dre Greenlaw vs Tatum Bethune
Greenlaw is part of the IDP Training Camp Battles for the 49ers
Greenlaw is 29-years-old now after being drafted by the 49ers in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL draft out of Arkansas. He has been with the 49ers every year except last year, when he played for the Denver Broncos. Greenlaw signed a 1-year contract with the 49ers for the 2026 season at just $6 million. He has only played 10 games in the last 2 NFL seasons due to injury, and produced just 53 tackles in those combined 10 games. In fact, Greenlaw has only played every game in a season during his rookie year back in 2019. Greenlaw has missed 45 games in his last six seasons due to various injuries that included Achilles, Quad muscle, multiple hamstring strains, multiple calf sprains, and a concussion. Other games were missed due to suspension.
Greenlaw has been a pretty efficient starter for your IDP team when he actually plays. Over his seven-year career thus far, he has averaged just under seven tackles a game. He hasn’t really done a whole lot in any of the other categories of the IDP scoring charts. Greenlaw had 10 games of 100% of the defensive snaps in 2022, 12 games of 91% or more in 2023, and 3 games above 70% of the 10 games played in 2025.
San Francisco is home to Greenlaw, but he has now played a whole lot in these last two seasons. There is a new Defensive Coordinator with the 49ers, Raheem Morris, who will institute a new defensive philosophy. Morris brings an aggressive, blitz-happy, and disguises to their pre-snap defensive alignment. Greenlaw had his best years with the defensive coordinators who played less aggressively and relied on their front four.
Bethune is part of the IDP Training Camp Battles for the 49ers
Bethune was drafted in the seventh round of the 2024 NFL draft out of Florida State. As a rookie, Bethune played mainly special teams. 2025 was his breakout year with eight starts after Fred Warner went down with a fractured and dislocated right ankle. Bethune himself did suffer a high ankle sprain in Week 11, which cost him four weeks of play time. In the 8 games that Bethune started, he produced 5 games of double-digit tackles. He also posted 10 tackles in the game where he came in early for Warner when he suffered the season-ending injury. Bethune had 8 games of 77% or more of the defensive snaps, 4 games of 96% or more, and 3 games of 100% of the defensive snaps.
Bethune took full advantage of the play time he was awarded with the Warner injury. In the 8 games combined that he had 77% of the defensive snaps or more, he posted a very nice stat line of 87 tackles (36 solo), 4 tackles for a loss, 1 QB hit, 1 sack, and 4 passes defensed. Those are stats of a set him and forget him linebacker on your IDP roster.
Recap of similarities and differences between Greenlaw and Bethune
Both players are tackling machines when it comes to their downhill style in the run game. Bethune has a higher tackle per game in the NFL with a much smaller sample size. According to PFF (Pro Football Focus), Greenlaw is more efficient, and Bethune gets a higher volume. Neither player has elite speed, with both running the 40-yard-dash in the 4.7 range. Greenlaw definitely wins in the experience and pass coverage responsibilities, according to PFF. Greenlaw posts a career 67.1 in pass coverage, which is above average, while Bethune posts a 42.5 grade, which is 72nd out of 88 qualifying linebackers. That should get better as Bethune enters his third year with the 49ers.
This NFL IDP training camp battle will be worth paying attention to. One of these players will get close to 100% of the defensive snaps, while the other will probably get a lot of the special teams snaps. It will benefit your IDP squad substantially if you have the right 49ers linebacker.
Thank you for checking out my NFL IDP Training Camp Battles article! You can read all of my articles on my IDP+ author page. Be sure to follow me on X at @OldMan_FF and @IDP_Plus (we have offense, too), and please consider becoming a subscriber.
