FRED WARNER
Position: Linebacker
College: BYU
Height: 6-3
Weight: 235
Selection: Third round (No. 70 overall)
Scouting report: Warner started 42 of 49 games over his four-year career. He had 264 tackles in his career, including 32 for loss, and 6.5 sacks. He has good size and can play like a safety with his coverage skills. He played a lot of zone coverage over the slot receiver in college.
Projected role: There is still a lot of uncertainty about Reuben Foster’s future with the club. Warner has some versatility and should provide the team with an insurance policy and depth at the inside linebacker position. He can play all three downs becaue of his coverage skills. He can be an immediate contributor on special teams. The 49ers passed on linebacker Tremaine Edmunds in the first round. Warner fills a need and is intelligent enough to quickly grasp coordinator Robert Saleh’s defense. When he met with the team on a recent visit, Warner was told that the mike linebacker position was probably his best fit.
Quotable
“Man, they showed me so much love when I was out there (for a visit), just with what the coaches were talking to me about. Going around and seeing the facility, it just felt right. Obviously, I didn’t know who was going to be giving me the call, but I’m so excited, so happy it was the 49ers. I fit their defense so well” --Fred Warner
“When I was meeting with the linebackers coach (DeMeco Ryans) and the D.C. (Saleh), they went over film about how their linebackers play. And they really like my ability to be able to break on balls, use my hands to strike defenders and tackle, of course. I feel like I can fit in right away and do some damage” – Warner
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“His skill set mimics what we do. He’s comfortable playing in space. He’s a very efficient linebacker. He uses his hands well” -- 49ers GM John Lynch.
“We play a lot of zone. You have to read the quarterback and when that hands come off, you break. There are numerous clips that fit what we do. He’s a guy we all really appreciated the more and more we watched” – Lynch.
“In terms of what we ask those two (inside linebacker positions) to do, there’s very little difference. We want linebackers who can run. We put them in some tough spots. They have to cover a lot of ground in what we call ‘the hook area.’ You need the quickness” – 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan.