49ers select Tatum Bethune with the No. 251 overall pick in the NFL Draft

The San Francisco 49ers closed out their 2024 NFL Draft with their eighth and final pick, which is the 31st pick in the seventh round. This is, of course, an area in which the team has had some fairly recent success, as you might remember.

Trying to follow in those footsteps this year is Florida State linebacker Tatum Bethune.

At 5-foot-11 and 229 pounds, he's not exactly the prototypical size for the position. but there are more than a few things that might have appealed to San Francisco. In his 10 starts last season for the Seminoles, he was able to record 70 tackles, of which five were for a loss, and he also recorded an interception and three pass breakups.

Interestingly, he also acquired three quarterback hurries, suggesting he was occasionally used on a blitz, something the 49ers aren't adverse to.

What likely also appeals to the Niners is the same things that saw once unheralded linebackers like Dre Greenlaw emerge as forces in San Francisco: Bethune is sharp in coverage, plays with a high football IQ, and covers the field pretty well. He also shows a desire to make plays consistently, playing with a high motor both against the run and the pass. His technique needs a little cleaning up, but he's joining a good group to teach him that.

The first order of business for Bethune is likely to try and usurp last year's rookies, Jalen Graham and Dee Winters, to make the active roster.

One of the easiest routes for him to be able to do this is to play special teams at a high level, particularly since one spot is likely to be available there with the loss of Oren Burks in free agency, as well as the temporary spot due to Greenlaw's absence.

That concludes the 49ers' 2024 draft obligations. How are you feeling about the team's selections?

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