Niners Nation
The Niners beefed up their linebacker group with their final pick.
The San Francisco 49ers have added players who they believe can be immediate contributors. Here’s a look at their current draft class:
Round 1: WR Ricky Pearsall
Round 2: CB Renardo Green
Round 3: OL Dominick Puni
Round 4: S Malik Mustapha
Round 4: RB Isaac Guerendo
Round 4: WR Jacob Cowing
Round 6: OL Jarrett Kingston
A pair of wide receivers, offensive linemen, defensive backs, and a running back.
With the 251st and final pick for the team this year, the 49ers used their seventh-round selection on Florida State linebacker Tatum Bethune. Bethune was the 285th-ranked player on the consensus board.
Tatum Bethune is a linebacker the 49ers met with during the pre-draft process. He’s a five-year senior, which was the norm for this class. Bethun will be a terror on special teams but could sneak into the lineup thanks to his coverage ability.
Bethune is undersized at 5’11, 229 pounds. He ran a 4.75 40-yard dash, but he plays faster thanks to not “getting caught in the trash” and has no problem sticking with pass catchers in coverage. Plus, he has the toughness to excel on special teams.
Bethune began his career at Central Florida, starting for a pair of seasons before transferring to Florida State, where he was immediately penciled into the starting lineup as well. Over his career, Bethune recorded 339 tackles, 28 tackles for loss, 10 passes defended, 7.5 sacks, four interceptions, and a pair of forced fumbles.
The 49ers have added eight players to the 2024 NFL Draft, but the front office’s work isn’t quite done yet. Over the next few hours, San Francisco will race to sign its top undrafted free-agent targets.
