The 49ers Draft LB Tatum Bethune in Round 7

Bethune is one of the final picks in a draft that John Lynch said was only 170 players deep, so it's likely he'll start his career on the practice squad.

Sep 4, 2022; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Florida State Seminoles linebacker Tatum Bethune (15) / Melina Myers-USA TODAY Sports

Finally, the 49ers address their run defense.

They just drafted Florida State linebacker Tatum Bethune with pick no. 251 in Round 7. Bethune is the only player the 49ers selected this year who plays in the front seven, the part of their defense that's most responsible for stopping the run, which the 49ers didn't do particularly well last season. And that was when Dre Greenlaw was healthy. Now he has a surgically-repaired Achilles' tendon and it's unclear when he will return and if he'll be the same player he was before he went down. So run defense is a major issue, and so is depth at linebacker.

Bethune is one of the final picks in a draft that John Lynch said was only 170 players deep, so it's likely he'll start his career on the practice squad. But it seems he has some intriguing traits the 49ers can develop over time. Bethune's Pro Day results were awfully similar to Greenlaw's, which shows Bethune fits the template the 49ers use to find outside linebackers. That doesn't mean Bethune is the next Greenlaw, but it does mean he has a chance to make the team one day and maybe even start.

Now that the 49ers' draft is complete, it's strange that they drafted no offensive tackles, no defensive linemen and only one linebacker. Those positions were immediate needs. Instead, they focused on drafting wide receivers, guards, defensive backs and a running back -- positions that were not immediate needs.

Bold strategy. Let's see how it works out for them.