Day 2 of the 2018 NFL Draft is over, and the 49ers have three new players in Dante Pettis, Fred Warner and Tarvarius Moore. I was a fan of all of the picks if I were doing my own draft grades, though Moore is the one I like the most. I expect big things out of him.
I’m also a fan of the Pettis pick, and am looking forward to the 49ers having a real returner for what feels like the first time in a long time. Warner is a player I know very little about so I’ll reserve judgment on that one until I watch some film. I’ve seen the other two, and I like them a lot.
But who cares about my opinions, let’s talk about what the Internet at large thought about the 49ers’ draft. First, the picks and where they were picked:
No. 44 Dante Pettis, WR, Washington
No. 70 Fred Warner, LB, BYU
95. Tarvarius Moore, S, Southern Miss
I’ve found that, by and large, the 49ers’ picks were well-received, in about the same way the Mike McGlinchey pick was. A lot of ‘B’s were given out. Most liked the players involved while some thought the 49ers reached.
The SB Nation mock had this to say about the Pettis pick, also itself linking to a pretty great piece you should read if you haven’t:
They traded up to get him, but he’s a great return man and can provide value there in addition to as an inside or outside receiver.
DraftWire was complimentary of the Pettis selection as well:
Jimmy Garoppolo got himself some protection in the first round, and now, the 49ers get him an explosive playmaker to stretch the field. Pettis is a smooth pass-catcher who runs crisp routes and beats defenses after the catch and over the top. There were bigger names on the board at this position, but it’s decent value and fills a big need.
Mike Tanier of Bleacher Report was not a fan at all, with a lengthy writeup that includes saying that Pettis “lacks superior quickness and isn’t built to beat jams,” in addition to all of this:
This was a reach pick. Pettis does many of the things Marquise Goodwin does, and Goodwin does them better. There are better receivers, and better fits for the Niners, all over the board right now.
He did like the Warner pick though, and called him a “drag-down tackler who pushes the dive button a little too regularly,” and that the 49ers “should find a role for him.”
Below, I’ve compiled some 49ers-specific grades from the folks mentioned above and a few others. The first grade is for Pettis, the second for Warner and the the third for Moore. The SB Nation grades were on a scale of “Good, Fine or Bad.” Kind of.
Alex Kirshner, Bill Connelly (SB Nation): Fine, “Kind of a Reach?”, Fine
Pete Prisco (CBS Sports): B+, B, B+
Andy Benoit (SI.com): C+, B-, B-
Chad Reuter (NFL.com): Day 2 grade: B, Overall grade: B-
Luke Easterling (DraftWire): B, A, B+
Mike Tanier (BleacherReport): C-, B, B