BYU Football: Fred Warner drafted by 49ers in third round
By Shaun Gordon
The San Francisco 49ers selected former BYU football star Fred Warner in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft. He’s the fifth Cougar selected in six years.
Fred Warner is headed back to his home state.
The former BYU football star was selected in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft by the San Francisco. Warner heard his name called on the second night of the draft, with the 70th overall pick.
He’s a California native, so it’ll be a homecoming of sorts, although about six hours away from his hometown of San Marcos.
Warner was nearly a lock to be selected at some point in the draft, but the prediction on what round he’d be picked in varied. One mock draft predicted a second round selection, while most had him going somewhere in rounds 3-5.
As a Cougar, Warner used his athleticism and speed to excel at the linebacker spot. That same athleticism and speed drew the attention of NFL teams, making him one of the top prospects at his position.
In college, Fred Warner estimates he lined up opposite the slot receiver on 80-90 percent of snaps. He didn’t always have to cover the receiver 1-on-1, but his coaches were comfortable enough that his length and athleticism could do the job when he did get that assignment.
— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) April 28, 2018
Only five other linebackers went off the board before Warner. He’ll head to one of the NFL’s up-and-coming teams, likely plugging into the 49ers’ linebacker rotation as a rookie.
Warner, a four-star prospect out of high school, saw playing time in all four of his seasons at BYU. His career stats mirrored his versatility, excelling both as a rusher and in coverage.
He finished his four years as a Cougar with 6.5 sacks, 32 tackles for loss, 7 interceptions, 3 forced fumbles, and 2 defensive touchdowns.
One of those touchdowns is easily his most memorable highlight:
Warner is the 149th player drafted from BYU, and the 12th to be selected by San Francisco. That’s the second most by any team, trailing only Detroit (13 Cougars selected).
He’s the fifth BYU footballer drafted in the last six years, and fourth of those five to go in one of the first three rounds.