1st Team All Pro - LB Fred Warner

I know Hero is applauding. This is a player that has been widely discussed in the draft forum. Outstanding athleticism, very good in coverage, needs to improve his tackling but I imagine he's slotted to play the weakside next to Froster.

With the 70th pick in the draft, the 49ers go with BYU linebacker Fred Warner. The team showed a lot of interest in Warner in the run-up to the draft. At 6-foot-3, 236 pounds, Warner projects as an inside linebacker for the 49ers. His coverage ability could also make him a movable piece the Niners can use in sub-packages and he could contribute on special teams.

http://www.espn.com/espn/now?nowId=21-40020272-4

Solid pick. I live in Utah and have watched him play a lot of ball. This guy will be a solid Will maybe Mike.

Terrific selection! Now we just need to get a pass rusher at the end of the round

Like it.

Seems like another reach.

Is he a edge????

Originally posted by Furlow:
Seems like another reach.

Are we calling every pick a reach now? Is that what is happening?

This was the range that Warner was expected to go in, pretty sure this is the same pick I had him slotted in my mock draft. This should be a mass appeal pick. He's a super fast, rangy linebacker that can contribute at LB and special teams, eventually developing into a starter on the weakside.

The 49ers have gone with offensive players early in the draft and now turn the page and take a defensive player. Warner played in a variety of different alignments at BYU and found himself defending the slot for 41.7 percent of his 2017 snaps. Warner finished the season with an 86.5 overall grade and can be a factor in coverage if he can return to the form he displayed early in his career at BYU.

https://www.profootballfocus.com/news/2018-nfl-draft-live-blog

Second highest in Wonderlic for linebackers.

49ers selected BYU LB Fred Warner with the No. 70 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.

Warner (6'3/236) was a 42-game starter for the Cougars, logging 32 career tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, and seven interceptions. Warner helped himself at the Combine with 75th-percentile SPARQ results, including 4.64 speed and a twitchy 6.90 three-cone time. He also scored 32 on the Wonderlic, best in this year's off-ball linebacker class. As a hybrid linebacker-safety, Warner is a jack of many trades but neither thumping run stopper nor pass rusher. Experienced in slot coverage, Warner is best suited for a rover role in the middle of the field. He can help on special teams right away. The Reuben Foster situation is still murky, so Warner might see the field early. He was Josh Norris' No. 5 linebacker prospect

So I guess the emphasis on steed only applies to the offense. I'm good with the pick, but I think Shaquem Griffin would have been a better pick.