SANTA CLARA – Patrick Willis, inducted last summer into the Pro Football Hall of Fame , stopped behind a Levi’s Stadium end zone Saturday night and relayed how excited he was to watch live football.

Yes, even a preseason opener that would yield first impressions of a new defensive cast .

So, which of the next-gen linebackers might eventually make plays like Willis did from 2007-14? Stay tuned. We’re only one preseason game into this, and the 49ers had mixed results as a 9-0 lead flipped into a 20-9 halftime deficit against the Denver Broncos .

All-Pro Fred Warner got the night off with most other of the 49ers’ projected regular-season starters. But Dee Winters, Warner’s wingman in the starting lineup throughout camp, did play the opening two series as the weakside linebacker next

See Full Page