Niner Noise
FanSided

San Francisco 49ers: Ranking the 49ers’ 2018 NFL Draft picks by immediate impact

By Jeremy Wohlfart

ARLINGTON, TX - APRIL 26: A video board displays an image of Mike McGlinchey of Notre Dame after he was picked #9 overall by the San Francisco 49ers during the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft at AT&T Stadium on April 26, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TX - APRIL 26: A video board displays an image of Mike McGlinchey of Notre Dame after he was picked #9 overall by the San Francisco 49ers during the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft at AT&T Stadium on April 26, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
9 of 10
Next
PROVO, UT – SEPTEMBER 17: Fred Warner #4 of the Brigham Young Cougars deflects this third quarter pass, intended for Austin Roberts #88 of the UCLA Bruins at LaVell Edwards Stadium on September 17, 2016 in Provo, Utah. The UCLA Bruins won 17-14. (Photo by Gene Sweeney Jr./Getty Images)
PROVO, UT – SEPTEMBER 17: Fred Warner #4 of the Brigham Young Cougars deflects this third quarter pass, intended for Austin Roberts #88 of the UCLA Bruins at LaVell Edwards Stadium on September 17, 2016 in Provo, Utah. The UCLA Bruins won 17-14. (Photo by Gene Sweeney Jr./Getty Images) /

2. Fred Warner, Linebacker, Brigham Young, (Pick 70)

I love this pick.

I really, really love this pick.

Aside from Mike McGlinchley (spoiler alert,) whom we’ll get to in a moment, Fred Warner is the only rookie I think can be a Week 1 starter.

With Reuben Foster seemingly likely to return to the team on a very short leash, given the recent developments on his legal troubles that supposedly exonerate him with video evidence, Warner can still partner him at the WILL linebacker position (Foster plays the MIKE position).

Even if he doesn’t start, Warner can be rotated in on passing downs with his amazing coverage ability.

Warner isn’t perfect, he has tackling issues and won’t accumulate many sacks in his career, as he is much more a coverage linebacker than a blitzing one. But he can learn in camp to tackle properly.

Even if Foster was 100 percent returning before the draft, linebacker was still a position of need to address.  NaVorro Bowman was a third-round prospect, who turned into an amazing one-two punch with a first-round talent (Patrick Willis, you may have heard of him), and I wouldn’t be shocked to see Foster-Warner emulate that tandem.