Your daily San Francisco 49ers news for Thursday, January 30th, 2025
Potential 49ers draft targets shine in first Senior Bowl practice
“While he mostly played left tackle, the 6-foot-5, 345-pound Belton also slid inside for multiple reps,” Reid wrote. “His strength stood out the most, as he used his complementary anchor to shut down rushers. Belton was outside of my top eight offensive tackles entering the week, but he helped himself out by displaying his versatility and power.”
Virginia Tech defensive tackle Aeneas Peebles also turned heads with his high energy and disruptive play.
“He closed out the day with standout stops in the team portion, using his leverage at 6-foot-1, 290 pounds to make it difficult for blockers to land their hands cleanly on him,” Reid wrote. “Peebles is an undersized 3-technique, but his ability to consistently penetrate the first level was seen frequently on Day 1. He’s trending from mid-Day 3 to early Day 3 discussions.”
“On day one of practice for the National Team, the offensive line won the day against a vaunted group of pass rushers. Wednesday’s practice saw the defensive line, particularly the edge rushers hit back.
Mike Green, who led the FBS in sacks with 17 in his final season with Marshall, continued on his upward trajectory, decleating Oregon’s Josh Conerly Jr. with a bull rush before later showing off his ability to win around the edge with speed and a well-executed two-hand swipe move.
Meanwhile, Boston College’s Donovan Ezeiruaku also stood out, illustrating his own proficiency for beating pass protection with power and his prowess for winning to both the inside and outside shoulder of opposing linemen.
UCLA’s Femi Oladejo was another who shone with his explosiveness off the edge on a strong day for an outside pass rush group overseen by 49ers defensive quality control coach K.J. Wright…..Shemar Stewart had only 1.5 sacks in 2024 but, with his blend of a 281-pound frame and remarkable athleticism and power, he is dripping with potential that the 49ers would be forgiven for believing they can unlock.
On day two, Stewart once again showcased his brute force, along with the speed to get around the edge, registering two would-be sacks in the team period, including one on which he stripped the ball from the quarterback. “
3 small-school Senior Bowl prospects who must have piqued 49ers’ interest
“One of the Senior Bowl’s more impressive prospects in the early days of practice is North Dakota State’s interior offensive lineman, Grey Zabel.
Zabel, who projects as a center but can play all five O-line positions, received praise from numerous draft analysts and pundits for his work in one-on-one and team drills, utilizing his 6-foot-6 and 301-pound frame to good use.”
“After being traded by the Buccaneers to the Lions, Davis proved to be exactly what Detroit had hoped,” Locker wrote. “His 72.1 PFF coverage grade was the best among starting Lions outside cornerbacks, not to mention his highest since 2021. Davis also added a strong 77.7 PFF run-defense grade, receiving a positive grade on 6.6% of run snaps — the eighth-best clip among qualified cornerbacks.
“Having proven his mettle with two established franchises, the 28-year-old Davis could sneakily be the second-best cornerback on the market. He should vault himself into a deal over $15.5 million per season.”