Niner Noise
FanSided

Regrading the 49ers’ 2018 NFL Draft class after one year

By Peter Panacy

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) /
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GLENDALE, AZ – OCTOBER 28: Linebacker Fred Warner #48 of the San Francisco 49ers reacts during the NFL game against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium on October 28, 2018 in Glendale, Arizona. The Cardinals defeated the 49ers 18-15. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
GLENDALE, AZ – OCTOBER 28: Linebacker Fred Warner #48 of the San Francisco 49ers reacts during the NFL game against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium on October 28, 2018 in Glendale, Arizona. The Cardinals defeated the 49ers 18-15. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

B+. . Linebacker. BYU. FRED WARNER

In hindsight, it sure seems wise the 49ers made the move to reinforce their linebacking corps, given the legal problems then-Niners linebacker Reuben Foster was going through during the offseason.

So, when San Francisco grabbed BYU linebacker Fred Warner in Round 3 of the 2018 NFL Draft, the team at least had a contingency option in case Foster’s tenure ended up being cut short.

Well, it did. Just a little later than many anticipated.

Warner, who ended up leading the 49ers defense with a whopping 124 tackles his rookie year, got off to a troubling start, namely with missed tackles. In total, he led the team with 16 missed tackles. But Warner was able to shore up that aspect of his game as the season drew on, instead relying more on his pass-coverage abilities and the knack for being around the ball.

In fact, Warner’s 67.7 pass-coverage grade ranked third among San Francisco’s defense, according to Pro Football Focus.

Slated for the team’s starting MIKE linebacker role this season, Warner is looking to be an excellent choice for coming years. Only the missed tackles prevent Warner from receiving an A-grade here.