John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan said Renardo Green told them he was a “dog” 15 times

Green’s energy is infectious

The San Francisco 49ers drafted a pair of teammates this past weekend from Florida State. They happen to play on the same side of the ball. Cornerback Renardo Green and linebacker Tatum Bethune were big parts of a Seminole team that should have made the college football playoffs.

General manager John Lynch said the team sees Green as a player who can play inside and outside. Head coach Kyle Shanahan mentioned Renardo’s mentality:

“But we also think he’s wired the way you can be at nickel from a mentality in the run game and the quickness in coverage. But you haven’t seen him do it, so we know he is wired for both.”

During his post-draft media availability, Bethune had this to say about Green: “Renardo Green is a dog. He actually is the one who I, sometimes I feed off his energy.”

Lynch and Shanahan said Green told them he was a dog at least 15 times. Bethune loves that about his teammate: “I feel like that’s what separates him from all the other corners, this past draft. Renardo, he likes to come up and tackle and he’ll go play man all game, if he has to. I feel like it is really the mindset that he comes in with every game and he’s very consistent with it.”

Green’s competitive spirit is impossible to ignore. In coverage, his aggressiveness can throw receivers (drafted in the top 10) off their game, leading to interceptions:

But these are the “dog” plays Green is referring to:

That’s who Green is, and every defense needs that kind of attitude.