A pick-by-pick look at the 49ers' 2018 draft class

April 16, 2024

The 49ers acquired nine rookies through the 2018 NFL Draft, which concluded Saturday. The team is also currently signing a bevy of undrafted free agents to contracts. We’ll examine that collection of players later this week, after the dust settles. For now, here’s a pick-by-pick breakdown of the 2018 draftees:

Mike McGlinchey

Position: Offensive tackle

School: Notre Dame

Hometown: Philadelphia

Height/Weight: 6-8/315

Selected: Round 1, Pick 9

Claim to fame: His fellow Notre Dame offensive lineman, guard Quenton Nelson, was also selected in the top-10 of this year’s draft. Nelson went at No. 6 to the Indianapolis Colts. Exposure to Nelson certainly wasn’t McGlinchey’s first time around NFL-caliber talent, though: His first cousin is Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan.

Did you know? Ryan wasn’t McGlinchey’s only relative who played QB at Boston College. McGlinchey’s uncle, John Loughery, also helmed the Eagles from 1979-1982.

McGlinchey considered attending Boston College and visited Notre Dame as part of a larger university tour that was supposed to continue on to the West Coast. But once McGlinchey saw Notre Dame in person, he committed on the spot and canceled the rest of his tour. Now, after being drafted by the 49ers, McGlinchey will make it out West, after all.

He said it: “I guess it’s like Five Guys, Whataburger, and In-N-Out are kind of all the same type of deal. I would say Five Guys is probably my favorite out of all of those. I don’t know. I liked the burger at In-N-Out. The burger was good, it was just the other stuff around it that didn’t give me the full package.”

Here’s Mike McGlinchey entering the 49ers locker room. pic.twitter.com/bti5HOqISV

— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) April 27, 2018

Dante Pettis

Position: Wide receiver

School: Washington

Hometown: San Clemente, California

Height/Weight: 6-1/195

Selected: Round 2, Pick 44

Claim to fame: There are a couple. Dante’s father, Gary Pettis, was a five-time Gold Glove award-winning center fielder. Gary is now the Houston Astros’ third base coach, and Dante visited the clubhouse for Game 7 of the ALCS and Game 6 of the World Series during Houston’s championship run last year.

Then there’s this personal accomplishment: No player in NCAA football history has returned more punts for touchdowns than Pettis. He housed nine during his career at Washington.

Did you know? Pettis’ football journey was heavily influenced by his older cousin, former NFL receiver Austin Pettis, who played under coach Chris Petersen at Boise State from 2008-2011. Petersen later moved on to coach at Washington, and he recruited Dante in large part because of his familiarity with his cousin.

The family connections don’t end there or with Gary’s professional baseball career: Dante’s other brother, Kyler, is a soap opera actor best known for his role on Days of Our Lives.

He said it: “My last year at Washington, they kind of moved me all around. I was playing outside and I was playing inside and they lined me up in the backfield and motioned me out. I did a lot of different things this last year, and it was a lot of fun.” (That versatility likely appealed greatly to 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan.)

Fred Warner

Position: Inside linebacker

School: BYU

Hometown: San Marcos, California

Height/Weight: 6-3/236

Selected: Round 3, Pick 70

Claim to fame: Warner is the tallest inside linebacker to be drafted this year. Warner joins the Carolina Panthers’ Luke Kuechly, who is also 6-3, as one of the tallest inside linebackers in the NFL.

Did you know? Proactivity is advised when looking for a job — or a college football scholarship. Warner wasn’t on BYU’s radar until a diehard Cougar fan and family friend of his sent the program Warner’s highlight tape. BYU’s staff noticed Warner’s lengthy athleticism and eventually offered him a scholarship.

He said it: “I think (my coverage skills) are why they like me so much, my ability to play out in space and cover at a high level. I’m more than willing and I feel like I’m very capable of being able to cover the tight ends and any slot receivers, because that’s what I was asked to do in college football.”

Tarvarius Moore

Position: Defensive back

School: Southern Mississippi

Hometown: Quitman, Mississippi

Height/Weight: 6-2/193

Selected: Round 3, Pick 95

Claim to fame: Though he grew up and went to college in Mississippi, Moore was actually born in San Clemente, California. Pettis was also born in San Clemente.

Did you know? Moore is one of the most athletic rookies in the 2018 class. His broad jump, 40-yard dash, and 20-yard split are all in the 99th percentile of all defensive backs. His vertical jump (85th) percentile isn’t far behind.

Combine this with above-average height (at 6-2, Moore is in the 77th percentile for defensive backs), and the 49ers feel that they picked the rare player who can be a perfect fit at both free safety and cornerback in their Cover 3.

He said it: “I feel like I’m a very versatile guy, especially with my speed and my length. I can definitely impact a lot in the secondary as far as my range, just covering from sideline to hash. That’s one of the things that I definitely felt was something that they looked at and liked in me a lot: my range and my physicality.”

Kentavius Street

Position: Defensive lineman

School: North Carolina State

Hometown: Greenville, North Carolina

Height/Weight: 6-2/280

Selected: Round 4, Pick 128

Claim to fame: Street squatted 700 pounds in the N.C. State weight room last year, and the video went viral. The feat was recorded from multiple camera angles, including this very intense one from right in front of Street’s face:

Did you know? Street was part of the greatest defensive line in Wolfpack history. All four starters from the 2017 unit were drafted in the past few days. Bradley Chubb went fifth overall to the Denver Broncos, while B.J. Hill (New York Giants, 69th overall) and Justin Jones (Los Angeles Chargers, 84th overall) followed. Street, with his immense strength, was the primary muscle of N.C. State’s effort up front.

He said it: “Yes, I spoke to them a little bit during the NFL Combine, but besides that, I haven’t really had that much contact with them.” Street was not the only 2018 draftee who acknowledged being shocked when the 49ers picked him.

D.J. Reed

Position: Defensive back

School: Kansas State

Hometown: Bakersfield, California

Height/Weight: 5-9/188

Selected: Round 5, Pick 142

Claim to fame: Like Raiders quarterback Derek Carr, Reed was born in Bakersfield. And like Carr, Reed attended Fresno State. But that’s where the similarities end. Reed was an anonymous walk-on in the Bulldogs program, and he left to go to Cerritos College after a year in Fresno. From there, Reed transferred to Kansas State and became a star.

Also, both Reed and Richard Sherman, his new teammate, are fifth-round draft picks who have admitted to carrying a chip on their shoulders because of that fact (read more about that in Reed’s quote below).

Did you know? Reed’s time at Cerritos College was particularly trying. He crammed into a two-bedroom apartment with seven other teammates and split time sleeping on a couch that was too short for him and the floor. Reed still has the couch: It was featured in this short documentary clip about him by Uninterrupted.

He said it: “Yeah, (being picked in the fifth round is) definitely going to stick with me until I’m done playing. I don’t know, man, I just feel disrespected. But like I said, I’m happy, but I feel like I’ve got a lot to prove. A lot of corners went before me and that’s definitely going to be something I’m going to remember.”

Marcell Harris

Position: Safety

School: Florida

Hometown: Orlando, Florida

Height/Weight: 6-0/208

Selected: Round 6, Pick 184

Claim to fame: Harris grew up with two of his Florida teammates, both of whom have been drafted into the NFL. Cornerback Duke Dawson was picked in the second round this year by the New England Patriots, while safety Keanu Neal was the Falcons’ first-rounder in 2016. Together with Harris, those two played on a 7-on-7 football team named the Rat Pak growing up. Their coach was former NFL corner and Florida Gator Keiwan Ratliff.

Did you know? Harris tore his Achilles tendon in college, and that caused him to miss the 2017 season. However, both Harris and the 49ers are confident that he’ll be back to full speed for the 2017 season. Harris has already been medically cleared since the scouting combine, and general manger John Lynch speaks of his reckless abandon on special teams as a pathway to make the 53-man roster.

He said it: “Since Day 1, I knew I was the hardest-hitting safety in the SEC. Once I step on the field, it’s gonna be electric.”

Jullian Taylor

Position: Defensive lineman

School: Temple

Hometown: Glenside, Pennsylvania

Height/Weight: 6-5/280

Selected: Round 7, Pick 223

Claim to fame: While playing against Notre Dame in his highlight video, Taylor gives the talented Fighting Irish offensive line — including Nelson — a lot of trouble up front.

Did you know? Taylor didn’t play organized football until his senior year of high school. As soon as he signed up, he logged 14 sacks and led Williamstown (New Jersey) to a perfect 12-0 record and the 2012 state Class 5 championship. In college, Taylor followed a similar pattern: He again didn’t blossom until his senior year, where he played a full season for the first time and vaulted into the draft conversation.

Richie James

Position: Receiver

School: Middle Tennessee State

Hometown: Sarasota, Florida

Height/Weight: 5-9/176

Selected: Round 7, Pick 240

Claim to fame: James is one of only six players in FBS history to have 200 rushing yards and 100 receiving yards in the same game. He did it in November 2016 with 207 rushing yards and 120 receiving yards versus Florida Atlantic.

Did you know? Shanahan sees similarities between James and versatile 49ers running back Jerick McKinnon: “He has the capability of doing a number of things. We’ll probably start him out at ‘X’ because of his speed and size. I think he can play inside for us, too. He has the speed to run some of the similar routes that start with Marquise (Goodwin), to give us some other options behind him. He can run and he plays physical, which we think that he can relate to special teams, which gives him a chance to make the team.”

(Top photo: Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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