The San Francisco 49ers added a trio of prospects to their 2018 draft class on Friday: Washington wide receiver Dante Pettis, BYU linebacker Fred Warner and Southern Miss defensive back Tarvarius Moore.
Here's what you need to know about all three Day 2 selections.
Dante Pettis, WR, Washington (Round 2 – 44th overall pick)
The 49ers traded up with the Washington Redskins in order to draft Pettis. Kyle Shanahan called him a "four-down player" given his ability as a punt returner. Pettis set an NCAA record with nine career punt return touchdowns.
Pettis spent a lot of time in the slot in 2017 but was keen to note that he played split wide during his first two seasons at Washington. He's got more of an ability to take the top off of a defense than most pure slot receivers.
Lynch explained that Pettis was a player they coveted during the pre-draft process. As the draft worked its way into the middle of the second round, the 49ers got nervous that another club might scoop him up. That's when they decided to make the move with the Redskins.
"We just knew Pettis was a really good and versatile football player that we thought would excite a lot of (teams)," Lynch said. "We came into the draft really saying, hey, if we could come out with him, we'd be doing very well and we were fortunate. We moved up where we thought we needed to be and we were still hanging on. But, we got it done."
Fred Warner, LB, BYU (Round 3 – 70th overall pick)
San Francisco loves Warner's athletic profile. The linebacker stands tall at 6-foot-3 and is really long with 32-inch arms. Warner projects to play at either WILL or MIKE linebacker. Shanahan astutely pointed out that there's very little difference between the two spots in San Francisco's defense. That said, Warner's versatile skillset to pursue, hit and cover fits perfectly into the 49ers scheme.
The 49ers were reportedly fielding trade offers from teams looking to move up to pick No. 70. Instead, Lynch opted to stand pat and grab Warner.
"I thought that his skillset really mimicked what we do," Lynch said. "You can see a lot of it on tape. He's a guy who is comfortable playing in space and a very efficient linebacker, uses his hands well."
Tarvarius Moore, DB, Southern Miss (Round 3 – 95th overall pick)
San Francisco had been on Moore for a while. Shanahan said that defensive backs coach Jeff Hafley and a few members of the organization's scouting department thought they'd uncovered a hidden gem. Moore wasn't invited to the NFL Combine which meant that he didn't share the same limelight as other defensive backs in this year's class.
And then Moore dazzled with a 4.32-second 40-yard dash at Southern Miss' pro day. At that point, there was no hope of stealing Moore in the later rounds.
"You think you've got a sleeper, and then the guy goes and runs a 4.32 at his pro day and all of a sudden he's not so much of a sleeper," Shanahan said. "So, more people start to hear about (him) ... (and by) the time the three months go by, the secret's over."
Moore played most of his college career at safety, but Lynch wants to test his versatility during the offseason program. Expect to see Moore get plenty of reps at cornerback in the coming months.
