49ers vs. Packers: 5 key matchups for San Francisco in Week 6
By Peter Panacy
No. 2: Fred Warner vs. Jimmy Graham
In Week 3 against arguably the best offense in the NFL right now, the 49ers couldn’t contain Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. He torched the Niners defense to the tune of eight receptions for 114 yards.
Kelce is certainly better at this point in his career than the Packers’ top tight end, Jimmy Graham. But that doesn’t mean this pending matchup will be one San Francisco can afford to lose.
Covering the 6-foot-7 Graham has never been an easy task, and there’s going to be a tremendous amount of pressure on rookie linebacker Fred Warner to continue his promising ascent after the 49ers took him in Round 3 of the 2018 NFL Draft.
The Niners grabbed Warner largely because of his excellent pass-coverage skills. He plays like a safety, showing the ranginess and ability to react in coverage well — true traits of the modern NFL hybrid linebacker.
Warner will get plenty of help from strong safety Jaquiski Tartt throughout the process. But to free up Tartt to make plays against Aaron Rodgers’ other pass-catching weapons, Warner will need to showcase all of his top abilities against Graham over the course of the game.
Simply put, the Niners can ill afford to let a player like Graham take over the contest.