The San Francisco 49ers built around quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo early in the NFL draft
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After adding both a protector and deep threat for Garoppolo with their first two picks, the 49ers used each of their first four selections Saturday to grab prospects who can bolster a defense that ranked 24th in the NFL last season.
"Really feel we got better as a football team," 49ers general manager John Lynch said Saturday. "We got guys we wanted to come out of this draft with. We came out pretty well in terms of what we wanted to accomplish and are very proud of what we did."
In their first season under Lynch and coach Kyle Shanahan last year, the 49ers won their final five games to finish 6-10 after acquiring Garoppolo near midseason.
San Francisco signed Garoppolo to a $137.5 million contract extension in February, then added key free agents on offense during March before drafting Notre Dame tackle Mike McGlinchey in the first round Thursday, and moving up in the second round Friday to select Washington receiver Dante Pettis.
The 49ers then turned their focus to defense through the next four rounds, selecting BYU linebacker Fred Warner, North Carolina State end Kentavius Street, and defensive backs Tarvarius Moore of Southern Mississippi, D.J. Reed of Kansas State and Marcell Harris of Florida.
San Francisco selected another defender, Temple lineman Jullian Taylor, with its first seventh-round pick before taking Middle Tennessee State wide receiver Richie James with its final pick.
"We're in Year 2 of our program
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Here are some other takeaways from the draft:
REDSHIRT PICKS?
The 49ers failed miserably earlier this decade with former GM Trent Baalke using several high draft picks to select prospects coming off significant injuries who never panned out after sitting out their rookie seasons. San Francisco took another chance in the fourth round Saturday on Street, who sustained a torn ACL during a pre-draft workout and had surgery earlier this month. He's unlikely to contribute this season.
"We're not trying to make popular picks, we're trying to make good picks," Lynch said. "And we're very convicted that this was just that."
Two picks later, the 49ers selected Harris, who missed the entire season last year after tearing his Achilles tendon during Florida's fall camp.
PLAYMAKER ON THE PREMISES?
On a conference call after being selected in the fifth round, Reed was describing his game to reporters when he was abruptly interrupted by the man who drafted him.
"I'm a playmaker, man." Reed said, before Lynch suddenly appeared in San Francisco's media room and blurted out, "That's what I'm talking about, D.J.!"
Reed ranked second in the Big 12 last season with four interceptions and was third in the conference with 13 passes defensed. He led the Big 12 with 19 passes defensed while earning the conference's Defensive Newcomer of the Year honors in 2016.
EXPLOSIVE AND DYNAMIC
Pettis and Reed are expected to help the 49ers in the slot on both sides of the football - Pettis as a receiver
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They were two of the most explosive return specialists in college football last season and could add an immediate boost to San Francisco's return game.
Pettis set an NCAA record with nine career punt returns for touchdowns, averaging 14.2 yards on 90 career returns. Reed ran back a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown and a punt 62 yards for a score last season, when he averaged 34.2 yards returning kicks and 14.9 yards returning punts.
MANNING THE MIDDLE
Of the six defenders selected by San Francisco, Warner could find himself making the biggest immediate impact and also filling the biggest immediate role.
That will be determined in the months to come as the 49ers await the fate of Reuben Foster, who is facing three felony charges in a domestic violence case. Foster, who finished second on the team last year in tackles despite missing six games, also could be facing a league suspension of six or more games.
STILL NEED
The 49ers entered both free agency and the draft this year with an impact edge pass rusher as perhaps their biggest need. They failed to address that, opting to pass on the premier edge prospects with their top two picks. The closest San Francisco came to adding help on the defensive edge is Street, who had 3 1/2 sacks in 13 games last season.
Shea Theodore opted for a simple approach on his shootout attempt.
Good call.
Theodore scored in the tiebreaker to give the Vegas Golden Knights a 5-4 win over the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday night.
Theodore, the fourth Vegas shooter, beat Jacob Markstrom on a backhand. The 26-year-old defenseman, who is from the Vancouver suburb of Langley
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”Sometimes when you overthink it the pucks ends up in going in the corner,” he said. ”I just tried to make a fake and tried to catch him biting on it.”
It was the first game for longtime Vancouver stars Daniel and Henrik Sedin since announcing Monday they are retiring after Saturday’s season finale in Edmonton. In the third period, the brothers stood at the bench and waved to the crowd who gave them a standing ovation. Vegas players banged their sticks on the ice.
”It was fun to be part of it,” Daniel Sedin said. ”It takes us back to a playoff atmosphere. It was fun to be part of that again.
”It’s been a while since this building has been this exciting to play in. It’s a great feeling.”
Bo Horvat, Brandon Sutter and Nikolay Goldobin, with his second of the game, scored in the third period as the Canucks erased a three-goal deficit. Goldobin tied the game at 10:53 when an innocent-looking tip squirted past Vegas goalie Malcom Subban.
”We had good control of the game … and fell asleep a little bit,” Vegas coach Gerard Gallant said.
Subban, who finished with 21 saves, wasn’t happy.
”You never want to win that way,” he said. ”You want to shut the door and not lose focus. I felt I lost focus there a little bit and they capitalized on it.”
Vancouver’s Jake Virtanen was called for hooking 15 seconds into overtime. Theodore scored on the power play, but the goal was overturned because of goaltender interference.
Brandon Pirri led Vegas with two goals in his first NHL game of the season. William Karlsson had a goal and two assists and Tomas Tatar also scored for the first-year Knights
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Daniel Sedin earned an assist on Horvat’s power-play goal for the Canucks, who had won four in a row. He also hit a post in the shootout. Henrik Sedin also missed in the shootout.
Markstrom stopped 35 shots.
The last home game for the Sedin twins, who spent their entire 17-season career in Vancouver, will be Thursday against Arizona.
A large number of fans, many waving signs thanking the Sedins or holding up jerseys, pressed along the glass and stood four or five deep in the aisles during the warmup. The brothers were featured in a video tribute on the big screen before receiving thunderous cheers and a standing ovation in the pregame introductions.
There were cheers during the game each time a Sedin touched the puck.
NOTES: Vancouver’s Ashton Sautner looked to have his first NHL goal in the second period, with assists from the Sedins, but it was overturned on video review for the play being offside. … The Canucks sent goaltender Thatcher Demko back to Utica of the AHL. … Forward Brendan Leipsic returned to the Canucks lineup after missing five games with a neck injury. … Vegas didn’t dress forwards Jonathan Marchessault and Erik Haula.
UP NEXT
Vegas: Travel to Edmonton on Thursday night.
Vancouver: Host Arizona on Thursday night.
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