2018 NFL Draft: San Francisco 49ers 7-round mock
By Conor Dorney
As I mentioned before, the Niners will be heavily in the market for upgrades in the front seven and one player with unique traits to help them at outside linebacker is BYU’s Fred Warner.
Warner possesses the kind of outstanding athleticism (4.64 40-yard dash, 38.5-inch vertical jump at the Combine) that could make him a unique hybrid linebacker/safety at the NFL level. He started every game at linebacker in the past three seasons for the Cougars, ending his career with 32.5 total tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks and seven interceptions.
Warner may not have the strength to set the edge in the run game, but his fluidity and penchant for locating the ball when dropping in coverage should make him a reliable weapon on passing downs. At the very least, he should be an impact special teams player if Kyle Shanahan opts to keep him on the bench for further development.
The 49ers have already spoken with Warner during the draft process, so he could be a target with their third or fourth round selections.
Eric Reid, Jimmie Ward and Jaquiski Tartt are all slated to hit free agency in the next two years, meaning San Francisco should consider taking a safety at some point during the 2018 draft.
Hawaii’s Trayvon Henderson finished his collegiate career with 237 tackles and nine interceptions, and could be a nice pickup in the fourth round for San Francisco’s defense. Henderson had a nice week at the Senior Bowl in front of Niners scouts and figures to hear his name called late on day two or early on day three.
If not Henderson, expect San Francisco to look at cornerbacks with this selection.