© Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
SANTA CLARA — The 49ers rookies have arrived at the Santa Clara facility for rookie mini camp that started Thursday. Several of San Francisco’s recent draft picks and former undrafted free agents addressed the media Thursday afternoon.
Dante Pettis ready to prove he is more than a returner
Dante Pettis’ reputation is largely tied to an NCAA record he holds: nine career punt returns for touchdowns.
The 49ers coveted Pettis’ dynamic playmaking abilities, and they foresee him as having a role in the return game. But it’s highly unlikely they would trade their No. 59 and No. 74 picks to the Washington Redskins for the 44th pick, used on Pettis, and the 142nd selection just to draft a returner. After Day 2 of the draft concluded last Friday, Lynch labeled Pettis as a ‘four-down player,’ a rare characterization for anyone.
Pettis wants people to know he is a receiver first and foremost. After all, the 6-foot-1, 186-pound Washington product averaged 58 catches for 791.5 yards and 11 touchdowns in his final two seasons at Washington.
“I kind of view myself as a receiver, not really a punt returner, so everything I aim for is receiver-wise, not much really for punt returning,” Pettis said.
Pettis played both outside and slot receiver at Washington. He was also deployed behind the line of scrimmage, almost as a scatback, where he used his athleticism in the open field. Kyle Shanahan figures to do some of the same.
“That’s why he said he liked me so much, was because he knows I can move around,” Pettis said.
Pettis said his best attributes as a receiver are speed, quickness, and polished route-running. Pettis ran a 4.47 at his Pro Day, a good, not great time for a receiver/returner hybrid. He cited decision-making and aggression as keys to his success in the return game.
“I think it’s going to be a little bit of a transition just because (there are) better players,” Pettis said. “So, you can’t just be more athletic someone or run around somebody. You have to trust the blocking even more and figure out different ways to get past people.”
Tarvarus McFadden has a chip on his shoulder after going undrafted
How does a one-time All-American and national interception-leader go undrafted? That’s the rare case of McFadden, a former five-star recruit who burst onto the college scene when he caught eight interceptions for Florida State in 2016, tied for the most in the country.
He entered the 2017 season with lofty expectations, but he produced only 30 tackles, failing to record an interception. He wasn’t drafted last week, one of the biggest surprises. McFadden was a projected first-rounder at the 2017 season’s onset.
“I honestly don’t know (why I didn’t get drafted),” McFadden said. “My last season, I didn’t perform as well as I did my sophomore year, but I don’t think I shouldn’t have not been drafted. Everything happens for a reason, and I am here now, so I am going to make the best of my opportunity.”
The NFL Draft has become increasingly dependent on measurables and tests. McFadden ended up on the wrong end of the spectrum, running a 4.67 40-yard dash in the 2018 NFL Combine, which hurt his draft stock.
“I definitely feel like too much is put onto the 40,” McFadden said. “You put on the film, I have never been actually ran right by. I have given up some plays, but name a corner who hasn’t. I honestly don’t feel like the 40 should make or break these players in the draft.”
San Francisco paid McFadden like a draft pick. According to the Boston Globe’s Ben Volin, McFadden will earn a lofty $70,000 base salary and $20,000 signing bonus.
At 6-foot-2, 204 pounds, McFadden’s measurables are similar to current 49ers cornerbacks Richard Sherman and Ahkello Witherpoon. McFadden was widely projected as a late-round pick, deeming him a quality pickup for the 49ers, a team lacking cornerback depth.
“I feel like I fit perfectly with the defense they run here,” McFadden said. “I have guys I can learn from like Richard Sherman, guys who have been in this system for a while. I feel like this is my best opportunity.”
Fred Warner looking to add athleticism to 49ers defense
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.
He compiled 239 tackles, 31.5 for a loss, 6.5 sacks, and seven interceptions in three years at BYU.
Warner dominated the 2018 NFL Combine, clocking a 4.46 40-yard dash, lifting 21 bench repetitions, and producing a 38.5-inch vertical at the NFL Combine. Warner is 6-foot-3, 236 pounds, placing him among the tallest, rangiest NFL linebackers.
“I think it helps all around in my game, being able to be a rangy player, get in those passing lanes for the quarterback, or trying to defeat blocks and make tackles,” Warner said.
Warner played the Sam strong-side linebacker position in college, which BYU calls a ‘flash,’ during about 80-90 percent of plays. He was lined up on slot receivers and tight ends in coverage. Whenever BYU played bigger personnel, Warner stacked the box like a more traditional linebacker.
“Covering came natural to me,” Warner said. “That has only added to my game. I feel like that’s one of the hardest things you can ask a linebacker to do.”
Warner feels his skill set fits well in Saleh’s defense. The 49ers brass has told Warner they envision him as a Mike linebacker, but both linebacker spots are generally interchangeable.
Warner is similar to smaller, more speedy linebackers such as Deion Jones and Bobby Wagner, rather than big, physical bruisers such as former 49ers greats Novorro Bowman and Patrick Willis. But Warner is looking to continue their legacy with San Francisco.
“I think anybody who watches football kind of knows those guys who have come through,” Warner said. “I am hoping to come in and follow their lead.”
Marcell Harris took the 2017 season to learn and absorb
Marcell Harris missed all of last season at Florida with a torn Achilles. One year earlier, he led Florida with 73 tackles in 2016, putting him on NFL radars as a hard-hitting, relentless tackler at the safety position.
“I had the opportunity to leave then, but I stayed because I wanted to better myself and get myself ready for the NFL,” Harris said. “But expectations (on getting drafted this year) were still kind of high. I know what I am capable of. I know coaches know I have a high ceiling.”
Harris took the 2017 season to absorb as much as he could from his coaches, and relay that information onto his teammates.
“(It was) definitely a hard process to go through because I wanted to be out there and compete at a high level,” Harris said. “Off the field, it was easy going, lot of dedication to what I was going on with my injury. But at the same time, I got to sit down with my coaches a little more, become a coach, a student of the game.”
