The San Francisco 49ers' fourth-round selection of former Utah punter Mitch Wishnowsky in the 2019 NFL Draft might have drawn some scrutiny, especially considering he was the first of his position taken off the board and the Niners could have selected a number of other players at No. 110 overall, many of whom were given Round 2 or Round 3 grades by many a draft expert.
Yet Niners general manager John Lynch and Co. seemed enamored with Wishnowsky, the Australian-born specialist who drew plenty of attention from area scouts.
One of those was Reggie Cobb, who passed away last week.
According to The Athletic's Matt Barrows, Cobb was instrumental in the Niners' interest in Wishnowsky, apparently working with 49ers special teams coordinator Richard Hightower and setting up the workout the team had with the Utah punter before the draft:
The selection of Mitch Wishnowsky was an emotional one for the punter and also the #49ers. He was scouted by West scout Reggie Cobb, who passed away last week. Cobb worked closely w/ ST coordinator Richard Hightower on the pick and set up the workout the 49ers had w/ Wishnowsky.
— Matt Barrows (@mattbarrows) April 27, 2019
The 49ers lost veteran punter Bradley Pinion to free agency this offseason, as he signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after four years with San Francisco. Interestingly enough, Pinion was the first specialist taken in the 2015 NFL Draft.
Perhaps this changes some Niners fans' opinions on the Wishnowsky selection, knowing the late Cobb was essential on garnering the interest from the 49ers.
Either way, San Francisco doesn't need to worry about filling this specialist position any longer.
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Written by:Peter Panacy has been writing about the 49ers since 2011 for outlets like Bleacher Report, Niner Noise, 49ers Webzone, and is occasionally heard as a guest on San Francisco's 95.7 FM The Game and the Niners' flagship station, KNBR 680. Feel free to follow him, or direct any inquiries to his Twitter account.
