San Francisco 49ers select Tatum Bethune in 7th round of 2024 NFL Draft

The San Francisco 49ers have selected Florida State linebacker Tatum Bethune with the No. 251 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Bethune has been in Florida for the entirety of his collegiate career. However, he joined Mike Norvell in Tallahassee after spending his first three years in Orlando at UCF. With the Seminoles, he was a starter right out of the gate, playing in all 13 games in 2022, recording 84 tackles, 43 solo, 9.5 tackles for loss, and three sacks. In 2023, there was a slight decrease in Bethune’s production as he finished the year with 70 total tackles, 32 solo, 5.5 tackles for loss, and one interception. However, he and Florida State finished the 2023 season as undefeated ACC champs at 13-0, heading into their bowl matchup against Georgia.

The Miami, FL native, who played college football at Miami Central High School, Bethune, did not have to travel far to find his first and second college football homes. In 2018, he committed to play for UCF as a part of their 2019 recruiting class. He sported a three-star ranking as a recruit with a grade of 82.5. Nationally, he was ranked 1338, placed 164 as a linebacker, and was the 185-ranked player to come out of the state of Florida, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

What NFL Draft analysts are saying about Tatum Bethune

NFL.com gives Tatum Bethune a prospect grade of 5.86, putting him in the group classified as an ‘Average Backup Or Special-Teamer.’ NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein provided an analysis of the former Florida State linebacker’s ability and how it transitions to the next level.

“Bethune’s linebacker play won’t make it on most teaching tape, but it doesn’t take much time to figure out that he’s a football player. He’s an inside linebacker with average size and questionable top-end speed, but he plays with reaction quickness. He’ll take on blocks with aggression and plays with decent tackle strength in space. He has sound football IQ, but recognition of blocking scheme and play design can be inconsistent. He has good coverage awareness and can drag Y tight ends around the field. Bethune can be unorthodox, and he’ll miss more tackles than you’d like, but he’s productive, with a feel for the game that could see him land as a Day 3 linebacker with backup potential inside.”

NFL.com also lists Bethune’s strengths as follows: Recognizes keys to avoid being duped by pre- or post-snap eye candy; Able to punch and stack lead blockers in the hole; Hits blockers and ball-carriers with the same force and energy; Impressive recognition and awareness in coverage; Quick acceleration to squeeze route breaks in man-to-man; Has proven capable of contesting catches and making plays on the throw.

In terms of weaknesses, Bethune’s are listed as such: Average recognition of blocking schemes as run defender; Takes occasional false steps early in the diagnosis; Unorthodox footwork creates inconsistent contact balance; Top-end speed appears to be fairly average in chase mode; Teams might have to live with higher missed-tackle totals.