Bregel Goes Lower Than Expected; 49ers Select Him in 2nd Round

Jeff Bregel of USC, a former standout lineman at Kennedy High, was the fifth offensive lineman chosen in Tuesday’s NFL draft, a second-round selection of the San Francisco 49ers.

Bregel, who was projected as a slightly higher draft pick, was the 37th player chosen overall. The 49ers obtained the ninth pick in the second round from Philadelphia last year in a trade that sent quarterback Matt Cavanaugh to the Eagles.

The 49ers used their top pick in the first round to draft All-America Harris Barton, an offensive lineman from North Carolina.

Bregel watched the draft on television from his apartment near the USC campus. The draft, conducted in New York, began at 5 a.m. PDT. His parents watched the live broadcast from their Granada Hills home.

“We’re just so happy and so relieved,” said Bregel’s mother, Barbara. “We got up at 4:30 to watch it.”

The only other local player picked through the 11th round was Toi Cook, the 207th player chosen. Cook, a defensive back from Stanford who attended Montclair Prep, was selected by New Orleans in the eighth round.