49ers sign first-round pick Ward to four-year deal

Jimmie Ward is officially a member of the 49ers' secondary. (USATSI)

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The 49ers used their first-round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft on safety Jimmie Ward, and Thursday, the team signed the former Northern Illinois standout to a four-year deal.

And like rookie teammate Kenneth Acker, Ward inked his contract using a quill pen.

#49ers sign first-round draft pick @ward_jimmie to four-year deal. He used #QuillPen. READ: http://t.co/vCF4pZqFo9 pic.twitter.com/IUaOmZosYA

— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) May 22, 2014

No word on whether $8 khakis were included in the "Welcome to the 49ers!" gift basket.

Ward was selected 30th overall, and was the fourth safety taken in the first round after Calvin Pryor (Jets, No. 18), Ha-Ha Clinton Dix (Packers, No. 21) and Deone Bucannon (Cardinals, No. 27).

“Jimmie Ward was definitely one of the players that if he was available for us at 30, that's a big if, and he was there, so we were excited,” Harbaugh said moments after the pick was made on May 8.

In his first-round draft grades, CBSSports.com's Pete Prisco wrote that Ward "is a heck of a football player, but with Antoine Bethea and Eric Reid was that really a need?"

Forty-Niners general manager Trent Baalke's response: "We feel the value was there."

Ward started 39 games in college and finished his career with 320 tackles, 26 passes defensed, 11 interceptions, four forced fumbles, two sacks, one fumble recovery and four blocked kicks.

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