SANTA CLARA – Right tackle Mike McGlinchey powerfully blocked his man about 5 yards down field as Friday’s practice ended at 49ers rookie camp.
That’s a sight the 49ers are expecting for years to come from their top pick in last week’s NFL draft at No. 9 overall.
McGlinchey’s 6-foot-8 frame is the tallest among 57 players participating in the two-day camp, and offensive line coach John Benton wasted no time coaching up and offering tips to his prized acquisition through the 75-minute practice.
McGlinchey will face stiffer challenges once he and other rookies join the full squad’s offseason program next week. He looked the part of a starting tackle and fared fine Friday, although tryout candidates Earl Okine (Florida) and Patrick Choudja (Nevada) beat him once apiece in one-on-one drills.
As for the 49ers other top draft picks, Dante Pettis (second round) looked superb as a pass-catching receiver and punt returner, Fred Warner (third round) took control at inside linebacker, and, Tarvarius Moore (third round) stayed on the sideline watching in team drills for non-injury reasons after his late-night flight.
Here are other top observations from rookie camp, which concludes Saturday:
NEW-AGE LINEBACKER: At 6-foot-3 and 236 pounds, Warner looks more like an outside linebacker or perhaps a defensive back than an old-school middle linebacker. That’s OK, because the third-round pick represents a hot trend in the NFL.
“This is a passing-league now,” Warner said. “Teams are passing the ball about 65 percent of the time and you need linebackers who can move and cover, and that’s why I feel I fit perfect in what we’re doing.”
Warner’s athleticism and range blends in with new standouts such as the Atlanta Falcons’ Deion Jones (6-2, 200) and the Jacksonville Jaguars’ Telvin Smith (6-3, 218). “Those are kind of like the new-age linebackers. They’re not the big bruisers,” Warner said. “They’re kind of the smaller guys that can run and cover, and they’re physical dudes, too.”
PETTIS’ FAIR CATCH: Pettis got introduced to the bay breeze and fared well on punt returns, as expected out of the NCAA-record holder with nine punt returns for touchdowns. His receiving skills also looked sharp. “I kind of view myself as a receiver and not really a punt returner,” Pettis said. “Everything I aim for is receiver-wise and not really punt returner.”
Coach Kyle Shanahan indeed touted Pettis’ receiving exploits last Friday upon drafting the Washington product, trading up 15 spots to get him in the second round (44th overall). “He knows I can move around and I don’t have a problem with it,” said Pettis, noting that his speed, athleticism and route running are his best receiving attributes.
MOORE’S ATHLETICISM: Moore has an athletic background showcasing his speed and versatility, all which should help his transition from safety to cornerback. In high school in Quitman, Mississippi, he also played wide receiver (“I’d rather hit than get hit”), baseball (outfield), basketball and track, the latter of which he made three straight state finals and competed in the 100 (10.8 seconds), 200 (22.0), high jump and 4×100 relay.
Moore confirmed the 49ers were clued into him before his blazing 40-yard dash at Southern Miss’ pro day (4.32 seconds) and that defensive backs coach Jeff Hafley frequently called him. “I can remember some days him calling three or four times, asking me questions like if I felt comfortable playing safety,” Moore said.
BIG HANDS: D.J. Reed’s 5-foot-9 frame may be small by NFL standards but he compensates with 10-inch hands and a 31 5/8-inch wingspan that. “I always told myself I’ve got to work harder than everybody because you don’t pass the look test,” Reed said. “One of the coaches came up (at his pro day) and said, ‘Wow you have really good hands.’
Reed saw time at free safety and punt returner on Friday. His multi-sport background: wrestling, soccer, tennis, basketball. “I’m very confident, and my confidence comes from my work ethic,” Reed said.
SPURNED CORNERBACK: Speed kills, and, in Tarvarus McFadden’s case, the lack of a fast time in the 40-yard dash at the combine (4.67 seconds) left the Florida State cornerback undrafted. “I definitely feel like too much is put on to the 40. Put on the film and I’ve never actually been ran right by,” McFadden said. “I don’t feel the 40 should make or break these players in the draft.”
He signed with the cornerback-needy 49ers with reportedly $90,000 guaranteed, but noted: “Money has nothing to do with it. I can come in and play in this scheme right away. I also have someone in Richard Sherman to learn from.” McFadden was a first-team cornerback Friday with Emmanuel Moseley.
POSSIBLE KEEPERS: Fullback Connor Wentz, a cousin of Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz, made a nice 1-handed catch in warmups and looks like a viable roster candidate if this tryout goes well. He, like his cousin, played at North Dakota State.
Okine, a 6-foot-6 vagabond defensive lineman, played Friday with a motor and a temper. Since coming out of Florida five years ago, he’s been with five NFL teams, plus stints in the Canadian Football League and Arena Football League. Defensive tackle Malik Forrester (Fresno State) showed hustle on the interior.
LEGACY TRYOUT: Cornerback Darren Crawford, grandson of 49ers Hall of Fame defensive end Fred Dean, was a late invitee to join 32 others trying out in camp. He attended Southern Arkansas after his grandfather’s alma mater, Louisiana Tech, stopped recruiting him after his junior year. Among the stories he’s heard about his grandfather: “Your papa was a mean dude. … He used to poke people’s eyeballs.”
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