Your daily San Francisco 49ers news for Thursday, April 27th, 2023
““Versatile combination tight end capable of performing a variety of tasks in one-, two- or three-tight end sets,” Lance Zierlein wrote within the player’s NFL.com scouting report, comparing Schoonmaker to Dawson Knox. “Schoonmaker steps foot on the field ready for action as a run blocker and does a nice job of competing in the entry and sustain phases of the block. He will need to add more muscle and play strength but already has a feel for creating run-lane angles with his footwork. He has the athletic talent to run a slightly expanded route tree, but he needs to do a better job of competing aggressively for catch space and meeting throws with extended hands. He could see action early but might need a year or so before he works himself into a full-time TE2 role.””
NFL mock draft: Experts project 49ers’ three third-round picks
“Maiocco: The 49ers currently have three tight ends under contract: George Kittle, Charlie Woerner and Ross Dwelley. It is time for them to invest in a draft pick who can serve as a well-rounded backup…Schoonmaker has good size and athleticism. He finished his college career with 35 receptions for 418 yards and three touchdowns in his final season in Ann Arbor. This figures to be a strong year for tight ends chosen in the middle portion of the draft, and Schoonmaker is the best fit for the 49ers.”
49ers expressing ‘heavy’ pre-draft interest in Stanford WR Elijah Higgins
“Draft grades for Higgins could vary depending on how teams envision using him in their offense,” Lance Zierlein wrote within the player’s NFL.com scouting report, comparing Higgins to Jordan Reed. “While teams might see him as a big possession receiver with limitations, he appears to have the necessary tools to become a dynamic F tight end with the ability to work all three levels of the field. Higgins has average ball skills but can run a more robust route tree than most tight ends. Also, he has the frame and technique to be an adequate run blocker in space. He might never be more than a backup at receiver but could blossom for an offense ready to plug him into two tight end sets.”
Could 49ers GM John Lynch trade up in the NFL Draft? Studying the cost (paywall)
“The Hill chart suggests that the 49ers could theoretically make a competitive offer for a mid-second-round pick (at a cost of 124 points) by packaging their top five selections — three third-rounders and two fifth-rounders (worth 126 points). The Johnson chart implies that the total sum of the 49ers’ draft capital (280.9 points) would barely be enough to trade into the back half of the second round (276 points) and not nearly enough to trade into the middle of it (430 points).”
“At offensive tackle, the Niners have McKivitz and Jaylon Moore among in-house candidates to step in for departed right tackle Mike McGlinchey but another contender and/or a possible long-term replacement for left tackle Trent Williams could be on the shopping list. Old Dominion’s Nick Saldiveri, Alabama’s Tyler Steen and Oklahoma’s Wanya Morris made Reid’s list of 49ers fits, though he also pointed to BYU’s Blake Freeland, Maryland’s Jaelyn Duncan and Syracuse’s Matthew Bergeron as intriguing trade-up options should they fall into San Francisco’s striking distance…Tight end might be the position the 49ers covet most given the need for someone to spell Kittle and, eventually, replace him. The Niners have hosted a handful of tight ends on pre-draft visits, with South Dakota State’s Tucker Kraft, Michigan’s Luke Schoonmaker, Old Dominion’s Zack Kuntz, Central Michigan’s Joel Wilson, Baylor’s Ben Sims, Alabama’s Cameron Latu, Oklahoma’s Brayden Willis and Penn State’s Brenton Strange all expected to be available into days two and three…Some other players who could be a match for the 49ers, according to Reid: cornerbacks Darius Rush(South Carolina), Rejzohn Wright(Oregon State) and Cameron Mitchell (Northwestern), safeties Jartavius Martin (Illinois), Ji’Ayir Brown (Penn State) and Christopher Smith (Georgia) and kickers Jake Moody (Michigan), Chad Ryland (Maryland) and Christopher Dunn (NC State). And yes, it’s worth keeping an eye out for another possible late-round flier at quarterback such as UCLA’s Dorian Thompson-Robinson or TCU’s Max Duggan.
Branch: 49ers’ no-names have been vital in landing big names deep in NFL draft (paywall)
“I remember in a draft meeting, Justin Chabot talking about his live experience at a practice where he saw D.J. just explode out of his stance,” Ahmad said. “And he said, ‘That’s what an NFL interior defensive lineman looks like. Those are the exact traits.’ ”
Matt Barrows breaks down when he thinks 49ers will select quarterback in 2023 Draft
“Yeah, I do. I think it’s sixth or seventh round because it’s got to be somebody that you feel you can put on your practice squad safely,” Barrows said. “And when you do that you’re exposing that player to waivers, so it can’t be high profile. I think it’s the Jake Haener line. We’ll call it the Jake Haener line. It has to be somebody not as high profile as Jake Haener, because if you put Jake Haener on waivers to get him to the practice squad, you risk him being snapped up by another team.”