© Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
The 49ers selected the first punter in the 2019 NFL Draft. In the fourth round, with the No. 110 overall pick, they picked Utah’s Mitch Wishnowsky. The 49ers acquired picks No. 110, 183, 198 in exchange for the No. 104 pick with the Cincinnati Bengals.
In three years as a starter, Wishnowsky averaged 45.7 yards per punt. He is a three-time All-American and won the Ray Guy Award, given annually to the nation’s top punter, after his freshman season in 2016.
Wishnowsky, who stands at 6-foot-2, 220 pounds, was viewed as arguably the top punter in this class. At February’s NFL Combine, he clocked a 40-time of 4.63 seconds and jumped a vertical of 32.5 inches — impressive times for a punter.
The 49ers are looking for Bradley Pinion’s successor. Pinion’s contract was not extended, and shortly after he became a free agent, he signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Pinion also handled kickoff duties for the 49ers. The only punter on the 49ers roster entering the draft was Justin Vogel, whose only NFL season came in 2017.
It was widely thought the 49ers would pick a punter, but with their fourth pick, and in the fourth round, comes as a bit of a surprise.