49ers rookie spotlight: Breaking down BYU linebacker Fred Warner

The San Francisco 49ers brought aboard former BYU Fred Warner in Round 3 of the 2018 NFL Draft. What should we expect out of the rookie his first season?

Linebacker was certainly a need for the San Francisco 49ers in the 2018 NFL Draft.

This, particularly after the offseason developments surrounding 2017 rookie Reuben Foster. Foster’s injury history — he missed six games last year — plus the off-field concerns, likely influenced Niners general manager John Lynch to explore adding yet another inside linebacker via the draft.

And he did, grabbing former BYU linebacker Fred Warner in Round 3 at No. 70 overall.

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Warner, 6-foot-3 and 236 pounds, is a strong coverage linebacker. This makes him an ideal fit for sub packages and handling coverage duties against tight ends, running backs and even slot receivers.

So how will San Francisco use him?

To get an idea, let’s take a look at Warner’s strengths, weaknesses and overall fit within the defense this season.

Fred Warner’s Positives

Warner ran a 4.64 40-yard dash time at the NFL Scouting Combine, which ranked 13th out of 31 participants.

That’s not particularly bad for a linebacker. And while it’s not elite-level speed, Warner uses his instincts to be in the right place at the right time. Plus his agility is good enough to change direction and adjust to receivers changing directions.

Here’s what Pro Football Focus’ Sam Monson had to say about him:

"A darling of many in the draft community, Warner has athleticism to burn and extensive positive play in coverage, the most important trait for NFL linebackers in 2018. Warner played the walk-out/overhang linebacker role at BYU, so there will be a transition to the NFL where he will need to occupy a more traditional position."

With the NFL having transitioned to a passing league, coverage linebackers can be at a premium.

This serves to benefit Warner, who has drawn comparisons to a safety from NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein.

Fred Warner’s Negatives

At this point, Warner might not be the best run-stuffing linebacker. And considering most teams prefer to run to the weak side, where a WILL linebacker (Warner’s immediate projection) lines up, one can see how this might be an issue.

PFF gave Warner a run-stop productivity rating of 7.5, which ranked 95th out of all prospects ranked.

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It’s not his strength and could be a bit of a liability if he lines up in run support at the WILL spot.

Additionally, Warner is one of those some see as a “tweener.” While his versatility is a good thing, it’s hard to define whether or not he’d be an excellent addition to one particular position over any others.

How He’ll Fit with the 49ers

Foster’s tenure with the team might be a bit safer now, although he could still face a lengthy suspension handed down by the NFL.

When on the field, Foster likely retains a MIKE linebacker spot. Last year, the 49ers placed Eli Harold at the SAM linebacker spot, although there’s an option to play the veteran, Malcolm Smith (injured for all of 2017 with a pectoral injury), there if need be.

But Smith’s coverage abilities are questionable, meaning it wouldn’t be a shock to see him placed on the weak side in running situations, while Warner comes in on passing downs.

Even though any down can be perceived as a passing one these days.

The good news, though, is Warner’s flexibility means he’s capable of lining up at a number of different positions. There will be a learning curve for some spots, yet all signs point to the 49ers being perfectly happy with the addition.

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