2018 NFL Draft: Breaking down BYU linebacker Fred Warner to the 49ers
By Peter Panacy
The San Francisco 49ers looked to solve linebacker depth concerns by adding BYU’s Fred Warner early in Round 3 of the 2018 NFL Draft. Let’s break it down.
Even with second-year pro Reuben Foster’s legal situation looking a bit better, the San Francisco 49ers needed to find some insurance on day two of the 2018 NFL Draft.
They did so, adding BYU linebacker Fred Warner at No. 70 overall.
Warner, a 6-foot-3 and 236-pound prospect with four collegiate years under his belt, offers both excellent coverage speed and around-the-ball instincts — a solid addition at this point in the draft.
| Tackles | Def Int | Fumbles | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | School | Conf | Class | Pos | G | Solo | Ast | Tot | Loss | Sk | Int | Yds | Avg | TD | PD | FR | Yds | TD | FF |
| *2014 | Brigham Young | Ind | FR | LB | 9 | 17 | 6 | 23 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 20 | 20.0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| *2015 | Brigham Young | Ind | SO | LB | 13 | 46 | 20 | 66 | 12.0 | 4.0 | 2 | 27 | 13.5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | ||
| *2016 | Brigham Young | Ind | JR | LB | 13 | 47 | 39 | 86 | 10.5 | 1.5 | 3 | 61 | 20.3 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 2017 | Brigham Young | Ind | SR | LB | 13 | 48 | 39 | 87 | 9.0 | 1.0 | 1 | 26 | 26.0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Career | Brigham Young | 158 | 104 | 262 | 32.5 | 6.5 | 7 | 134 | 19.1 | 2 | 13 | 5 | 3 |
Provided by CFB at Sports Reference: View Original Table
Generated 4/27/2018.
His frame suggests a good fit at either the MIKE or WILL linebacker spots, where depth could be a concern this year.
Let’s break down this selection a bit more.
Fred Warner Strengths
In today’s pass-happy NFL, coverage linebackers are always at a premium. Warner can move in space and with speed, as his 4.64 40-yard dash time at the NFL Scouting Combine suggests.
He’s a hybrid-type linebacker, capable of doubling at safety and locking down receiving targets with hard-hitting ability.
If you’re unsure about that, just check out this video below:
This physicality should play right into what the Niners would want at this position moving forward.
Weaknesses
Warner is good at a lot of things, but he’s not particularly excellent in any one particular area. As with a lot of hybrid players, his success will largely hinge on how the 49ers deploy him.
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And while Warner is more than capable against the run, a relatively smaller frame might be a bit of a hindrance against bigger blockers at the NFL level.
He’ll need to work on his tackling technique a bit too.
Projected Role with the 49ers
Depending what happens with Foster, it’s feasible the Niners ask Warner to step in and start right away alongside veteran linebacker Malcolm Smith.
Ideally, Warner would be placed into a special teams role right off the bat, working his way up the depth chart to a primary reserve option. Assuming Foster receives a six-game suspension to start the year, Warner probably winds up No. 4 on the depth chart, eventually developing into a decent starter at the position.
If that happens, particularly if development continues into 2019 on a good trajectory, it wouldn’t be a shock to see Warner take over Smith’s spot.
Next: 49ers' 2018 NFL Draft tracker with grades & analysis
Should this happen, the Niners get a steal in Round 3.