My favorite part of the NFL Draft is finding sleepers — guys that aren’t getting big-time buzz, but have something about them that could make them viable pieces in the league, despite being drafted late or not drafted at all.
So I get a kick out of the fact that the 49ers are as good as any team in the NFL when it comes to finding those sleepers. George Kittle, Dre Greenlaw, Emmanuel Mosley, countless defensive linemen — the 49ers have dominated on Day 3 and they have a rubric for how they do it.
It’s not public, but I think I’ve cracked it. And while they hardly need my approval, I agree with their ideas.
So while all the headlines will be about the No. 3 overall pick, I imagine that Day No. 3 will be where the 49ers separate again.
And here are four prospects that intrigue me for the Niners in that range.
Kene Nwangwu — RB — Iowa State
» Nwangwu was the Cyclones’ second-string running back behind First-Team All-American Breece Hall. That’s a win for any team that drafts him — less wear-and-tear is a good thing when you’re dealing with running backs.
But don’t let the lack of production scare you — it’s nearly laughable how excellent a fit Nwangwu is for the 49ers’ run game. The zone blocking Kyle Shanahan loves to run requires backs to make one cut and go upfield. Acceleration is critical and you’re not going to find many backs, in any draft class, who can go the first 10 yards of a 40-yard dash in 1.45 seconds. Nwangwu is the only one in the class of 2021.
Watching his tape, you can also see suitable vision and awareness. I’ve only seen him mocked as a seventh-round pick, but if the Niners draft him at any point on Day 3, I’d see that as a value play.
Jason Pinnock — CB — Pitt
» Credit to Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar for putting Pinnock on my radar. He would be an outstanding pick for the 49ers on Day 3.
The Pitt corner is long, feisty, and per Pro Football Focus allowed catches on only 30 percent of pass attempts that went his way, which might be the best mark in the country. He’s not the fastest, but he has truly elite athleticism — a nearly 40-inch vertical and one of the fastest 10-yard splits in his draft class (at any position). This is the kind of guy who, when locked into the scheme, can lock down one side of the field.
So why is he a Day 3 pick? Well, because Pitt’s defense had breakdown after breakdown in the secondary and that will reflect on Pinnock. Boy were they a mess against good teams. It’s bad news for Pinnock, but good news for teams looking for a possible bargain.
Jonathan Marshall — DT — Arkansas
» The 49ers are looking for crazy athletes on Day 3 and Marshall fits the bill.
Let me run some numbers for you: At 310 pounds, Marshall ran a 4.88-second 40-yard dash, with splits of 1.67 and 2.7 seconds at 10 and 20 yards. That’s not just fast, that’s scary fast. Men that big should not move like that.
He also jumps high and far. That’s important because it indicates how much burst a player can have off the line of scrimmage. It’s an explosion score. In this draft, there are only two players over 310 pounds who can broad jump more than nine feet — Marshall and Texas A&M’s Bobby Brown (who would also be a nice pickup for the Niners).
Marshall only started one season at Arkansas and no one would ask him to take on a double-team, but in the 49ers’ one-gap system, that athleticism will make him an immediate impact player. The Niners could line him up either inside or outside, and I think he could be a third-down monster in the middle next to Arik Armstead.
You won’t find him on any mock drafts, but I know he’s on NFL team’s radars as a Day 3 pick. We’ll see which team grabs him in the final two rounds.
Brock Wright — TE — Notre Dame
» Yes, Wright went to a huge school, but you’re going to have to go on the dark web to find his highlights.
Such is the plight of a blocking tight end.
But don’t think of Wright as some grunt who can’t do anything in the open field.
The 49ers need a second tight end to pair with George Kittle. Ross Dwelley isn’t the answer — he can’t block — and Charlie Woerner, last year’s sixth-round pick, isn’t doing much of anything on the field.
The Niners should address tight end earlier in the draft or bring back Jordan Reed, but regardless, Wright should be on their board for a seventh-round pick or as an unrestricted free agent.
Remember: Kittle caught only 48 passes in his four years at Iowa. The Niners saw through that.
I think Wright provides a similar (but not parallel) upside. He only caught seven passes in three years for the Irish.
The reason the 49ers took Kittle in the fifth round of the 2017 draft was his domination of athletic testing. The dude broad jumped 11 feet, which I still have not wrapped my head around.
Wright is not that kind of athlete. That’s a nonsense number.
But Wright is one of the best athletes — at any position — in this draft class.
He has the same 40-yard dash splits as Kittle — 1.6 at 10 yards and 2.65 at 20 — and had a strong 20-yard shuttle time of 4.25 seconds. He also put up 26 reps in the bench press, which is outstanding for a tight end at 6-foot-4 and 257 pounds.
This is a guy who could be everything the Niners wanted in Woerner. At the very least, he’ll be able to come in for short-yardage situations and be able to block a defensive end.
Don’t scoff, that’s a valuable role. Last year the Niners spent a sixth-round pick on it. That was a mistake, but they can rectify it for the low price of a seventh, or no pick at all, this year.