By Brad Almquist
The 49ers concluded their 2018 draft Saturday afternoon, ending the three day selection process with nine draft picks. After selecting Mike McGlinchey at No. 9 overall, they rounded out the roster, selecting six defensive players and three offensive players.
How did John Lynch and company do? We graded each pick, considering value, talent/projection, and whether that player fits a need as criteria.
Here are the draft picks with attached grades.
1st Round, No. 9 Overall: Mike McGlinchey, Offensive Tackle, Notre Dame
Grade: A-
This came as a surprise to everyone outside of the 49ers brass, including McGlinchey, who hadn’t spoken with the 49ers since meeting with Lynch and Kyle Shanahan at the NFL Combine. Judging by the dejected looks of 49ers fans at Dallas’ AT&T Stadium, the fanbase wasn’t overly excited with the McGlinchey pick.
One day later, they likely would have been.
The 49ers traded Trent Brown, the incumbent starter at right tackle, to the New England Patriots Friday morning. It was expected (or at least Shanahan and Lynch said) McGlinchey and Brown would compete for the starting job, with Brown’s contract set to expire after the upcoming season. Now, McGlinchey will almost certainly start at right tackle, where he will line up opposite six-time Pro Bowler Joe Staley, who will mentor the Notre Dame product.
Lynch and Shanahan viewed McGlinchey as the No. 1 tackle in this draft. They decided last week that if he dropped to the No. 9 spot, they would draft him without hesitating.
The 49ers accomplished their No. 1 priority of this offseason when they secured quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo in February. Priority No. 2 was protecting Garoppolo.
With McGlinchey, the 49ers have a 6-foot-8, 315-pound monster who has experience in zone schemes. He started 39 straight games at Notre Dame — in fact, he said he has never missed a football game in his career — and was a two-year captain. He and guard Quenton Nelson, who went No. 6 overall to the Colts, combined to headline the top offensive line in the nation last season.
Lynch and Shanahan reiterated McGlinchey’s character and room-commanding presence. Amid the Reuben Foster scenario, drafting a player without a history of trouble was important.
Staley turns 34 in August and has two years remaining on his deal. McGlinchey provides a long-term successor, while stepping in for Brown immediately. He started at both right and left tackle at Notre Dame.
Picking an offensive lineman in the top-10 will never satisfy fans, but McGlinchey is an important, necessary asset as the front office continues to build around Garoppolo.
2nd Round, No. 44 Overall: Dante Pettis, Wide Receiver / Punt Returner, Washington
Grade: B
Lynch and Shanahan traded up to draft Pettis, the dynamic, multi-positioned playmaker from Washington. San Francisco traded the No. 59 and No. 74 picks to the Washington Redskins for the 44th pick, used on Pettis, and the 142nd selection.
Lynch indicated Monday afternoon they were searching for dynamic game-changers. Pettis qualifies. His nine punt return touchdowns are the most in NCAA history.
The 6-foot-1, 186-pound receiver is a fluid athlete who runs polished routes and uses quickness to separate himself. He averaged 58 catches for 791.5 yards and 11 touchdowns in his final two seasons at Washington.
After Day 2 of the draft concluded Friday evening, Lynch labeled Pettis as a ‘four-down player,’ a rare characterization for anyone.
The main concern with Pettis is his lack of physicality, which could be an issue against press-coverage, but it seems likely that Shanahan will find ways to deliver the Washington product the ball in space.
This pick earns a B because it seems the 49ers could have waited another 15 picks to select Pettis, rather than trading up. Lynch and Shanahan may have known something we don’t, but even Pettis admitted surprise, expecting to be selected sometime in the third round or later.
Ultimately, Pettis adds another offensive playmaker and a dynamic return man. Wide receiver was one of the areas San Francisco needed to address.
This was a solid pick considering the value and need.
3rd Round, No. 70 Overall: Fred Warner, Linebacker, BYU
Grade: B+
This was an important add considering the uncertainty of Reuben Foster’s future with the team.
Warner is a hybrid linebacker who fits the prototype in today’s pass-friendly NFL. Defensive coordinator Robert Saleh wants to build the defense around Bobby Wagner-types who can move around the field.
Warner is no Wagner, at least not yet, but the BYU product is an elite athlete with experience in multiple spots.
The 6-foot-3, 236-pounder mostly played outside linebacker at BYU, where he said he was matched up in the slot about 80-90 percent of plays. He compiled 239 tackles, 31.5 for a loss, 6.5 sacks, and seven interceptions in three years.
Warner ran a 4.46 40-yard dash, lifted 21 bench repetitions, and produced a 38.5-inch vertical at the NFL Combine. Lynch said he covets Warner’s length and athleticism.
The 49ers foresee him as a Mike linebacker, although both linebacker spots are generally interchangeable.
The 49ers made it a priority to bolster the defense’s athleticism throughout the draft. Even if Foster stays with the team, Wagner will be a rotational asset alongside Malcolm Smith, Brock Coyle, and Korey Toomer.
3rd Round, No. 95 Overall: Tarvarius Moore, Safety, Southern Mississipi
Grade: B-
Moore wasn’t invited to the NFL Combine, so what does he do? Run a 4.32 40-yard dash, which would have been tied for the fastest time at the Combine, as part of his dominant Pro Day performance. The Southern Mississippi safety clocked a 39.5-inch vertical leap and 11-foot-1 broad jump, making him one of the top athletes in the entire 2018 class.
Pro Football Focus ranked Moore as the No. 3 safety prospect. Moore’s eight pass breakups in 2017 were the fourth-most in the country.
Lynch said the 49ers will try Moore at cornerback. While he showed an ability to keep up with receivers in coverage, it will be a big step doing the same at the next level with little experience as a full-time corner.
The 49ers are replete with starting-caliber safeties. They extended Jaquiski Tartt’s contract through 2020, implanting him as the starting strong safety alongside Adrian Colbert. Jimmie Ward will start OTAs at cornerback until Richard Sherman returns to the field from a recovering Achilles injury. Ward is San Francisco’s highest-paid defensive player in 2018, though, and Saleh will find ways to get him on the field.
It remains to be seen where the safety logjam leaves Moore. If he is able to play cornerback well, it would be a major bonus for a team lacking depth at the position.
Scooping Moore near the end of the third round gave the 49ers solid value. At the very least, he provides Saleh’s unit with another dynamic athlete, but how smoothly will he transition to cornerback?
4th Round, No. 128 Overall: Kentavius Street, Defensive End, North Carolina State
Grade: C-
The 49ers need immediate options at their ‘Leo’ spot. Street can’t provide that.
He tore his ACL less than a month ago in a workout with the New York Giants, deeming his upcoming season as a redshirt.
Florida State’s Josh Sweat was still on the board with this pick. Sweat, who produced for 12.5 sacks and 24 tackles for a loss in the past two seasons, could have offered a known pass rusher who can step in and immediately compete. He was selected two picks later.
No one is questioning Street’s freakish athleticism. At 6-foot-2, 280 pounds, he squats 700 pounds and runs a 4.58 40-yard dash. But the 49ers won’t see any of that in the upcoming year. The current members of the 49ers offensive line have combined to produce only 48.5 sacks in their careers. Jeremiah Attaochu has the most career sacks with 10.
Behind quarterbacks, pass rushers may be the most influential players in football. The 49ers lack them, and while they addressed the position to an extent, they didn’t address the position with this pick for the upcoming season.
5th Round, No. 142 Overall: D.J. Reed, Cornerback, Kansas State
Grade: A
Reed was a steal in the fifth round, providing a shallow 49ers secondary with some depth.
He had an outstanding career at Kansas State on defense and special teams. His 19 passes defended in 2016 led the conference. He was named a first-team All-Big 12 player last season after compiling 47 tackles, four interceptions, and nine pass breakups.
At 5-foot-9, 188 pounds, Reed doesn’t fit the protoype of the big, physical cornerbacks in Saleh’s defense. Reed does have 32-inch arms, but he will likely play nickel back, where K’Waun Williams is the projected starter.
Reed, who returned a punt and kickoff for touchdowns last season, will join Pettis in stocking the 49ers with additional options in the return game.
This was a very good pick considering value and need for secondary depth.
6th Round, No. 184 Overall: Marcell Harris, Safety, Florida
Grade: D+
Harris missed all of last season with a torn Achilles, one of the most brutal injuries to recover from.
The 49ers covet Harris’ 6-foot-1 frame with 32-inch arms. He is a hard-hitting, relentless tackler, but he only started nine career games. He led Florida with 73 tackles in 2016.
Harris will serve as a backup strong safety behind Tartt. The 49ers already have Colbert and Ward as safeties with starting experience. They added Street just two rounds earlier, although he will see some corner, as noted above.
This was a questionable pick when you consider the 49ers’ depth at safety, Harris’ recent injury history, and limited starts.
7th Round, No. 223 Overall: Jullian Taylor, Defensive Tackle, Temple
Grade: B
The 49ers found value in the seventh round last year when they drafted Adrian Colbert, who played his way into a starting role in his rookie campaign.
This year, the 49ers took a seventh-round flier on a player who has only played one full college season due to knee troubles. But in that limited tape, Taylor looked the part of an NFL defensive lineman.
He ran a 4.83 40-yard dash and lifted 31 repetitions on the bench press at his Pro Day. At 6-foot-5, 280 pounds, he is explosive and disruptive — when he is on the field.
He gradually improved as last season wore on, holding his own in Temple’s matchup with Notre Dame’s Nelson, the top guard prospect in recent years. Taylor then produced 10 tackles, 4.5 for a loss, in his final home game against undefeated UCF.
Taylor began tapping into his potential late last season. Considering the value, the 49ers picked a good one with the first of two seventh-round picks.
7th Round, No. 240 Overall: Richie James, Wide Receiver, Middle Tennessee State
Grade: B+
James capped a prolific career at Middle Tennessee State in 2017. He is the school’s all-time leader in receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns, despite playing in only five games as junior due to a broken collarbone.
His freshman year, he compiled 107 catches, 1,334 yards, and eight touchdowns. His sophomore year showed improvement, producing 105 catches, 1,625 yards, and four touchdowns.
James ran a 4.48 40-yard dash earlier this offseason. He’s only 5-10, 183 pounds, likely designating him as a slot option alongside Trent Taylor.
The 49ers found positive value late in the draft with James, who provides another option for Garoppolo.