NC State cornerback Dontae Johnson was selected by the San Francisco 49ers with the 29th pick in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL Draft. That gives the Wolfpack 18 straight years, and 29 of the last 30 years, with at least one player selected in the event.

Johnson was the 129th overall pick, and the 17th cornerback to come off the board.

"Johnson is long, lean and physical, and could be a steal here for the Niners at 129," CBS Sports' draft expert Derek Stephens wrote. "A true press corner who utilizes violent, active hands at the line, and who offers some versatility to rotate inside at safety. He´s vulnerable over the top though, and gambles too often. He´s raw, but has nice upside."

The 6-foot-2, 200-pounder was one of the biggest cornerbacks at the NFL Combine, and he also tested out as one of the most athletic with a 4.45-second 40-yard dash and an 11.06-second 60-yard shuttle, which was easily the best at his position.

In 50 career appearances with the Wolfpack, he logged 28 starts, 217 tackles, 10 pass breakups, 7.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage, four sacks, three interceptions and two forced fumbles.

He was also one of the team's most versatile performers during his time on campus. The three-star recruit came to Raleigh as a safety, where he played his first two seasons. He added nickelback duties as a sophomore, and then transitioned to a full-time cornerback in 2012, starting opposite of David Amerson.

In Johnson's final campaign, he started the season at cornerback, but had to move back to safety after fellow senior Jarvis Byrd went down with a season-ending injury. He still managed to earned the team's Defensive Back of the Year award after he led the squad with three interceptions, in addition to 82 tackles, which was second on the team.

The NFL Network draft analysts were split on if Johnson fit in best at corner or safety. Mike Mayock and Daniel Jeremiah saw him as a cornerback, while Charles Davis liked him most at safety.

"As a safety, I don't like his tackling skill set," Mayock said. "As a corner, it's not bad; it's average. He's long, 6-2-and-a-half, and much more comfortable in press [coverage] than he is in off...that is where you can use your length to your advantage.

"I talked to a lot of scouts around the country about this kid, and opinion was heavily divided. Teams either really loved him or really didn't like him at all, it was one or the other.

"I think they've just got to develop this kid because I think there really is some ability there."

Johnson is actually the third 49ers pick who was coached in the college ranks by NCSU mentor Dave Doeren. Their first round pick, safety Jimmie Ward, played at Northern Illinois where Doeren was his head coach, while Wisconsin linebacker Chris Borland played under Doeren as a defensive coordinator and linebackers coach from 2009-10 before he left for NIU.