Your daily San Francisco 49ers news for Friday, April 11th, 2025
Stanford WR Elic Ayomanor makes his pitch to 49ers: ‘I think I’d fit well’ (paywall)
“Scouts like Ayomanor’s combination of strength, speed and body control. And as he noted, his hard-nosed blocking would fit nicely in the 49ers’ receiving room……
Nash, meanwhile, was the most prolific wide receiver in college football last season, leading the FBS in catches (104), receiving yards (1,382) and receiving touchdowns (16). Brugler rates him as a fifth-round pick because he worked almost exclusively from the slot at San Jose State, will turn 26 this summer (2021 draft pick Trey Lance is two years younger) and doesn’t have breakaway speed, running the 40-yard dash in 4.57 seconds at the combine.
Still, he has some similarities to Jennings in that he’s a former quarterback who’s physical with the ball in the air and who usually comes down with the catch. He also noted that his switch to receiver came late — in 2022 — and that he’s still learning the position. At his San Jose State pro day last month, Nash likened himself to NFC West wideouts Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp, neither of whom had blazing 40 times before their respective drafts.
“I think my mind is the biggest key for me — just showing (teams) that I can learn an offense quickly and produce at a high level,” he said.
Another player who got a late start — not just at his position, but in the sport of football — was Washington State’s Pole, who measured 6-foot-5, 323 pounds at the combine…..He proved to be a quick learner, and his basketball background made for a smooth transition to Washington State’s zone-blocking offense when he transferred there in 2023.
Pole played left tackle exclusively with the Cougars and said the two games he was most proud of last year came against Texas Tech, which prides itself on stopping the run, and against Boise State, which excelled at rushing the passer. The Cougars ran for 301 yards and four touchdowns against Texas Tech, and Pole didn’t allow any sacks against Boise State.
In fact, he didn’t give up a sack all season.”
“However, his most productive year may have been 2023, when he posted a career-high 49 tackles (two for a loss), three interceptions, and 12 passes defensed. He earned a career-best 85.9 defensive grade from Pro Football Focus while limiting opposing quarterbacks to a 37.2 NFL passer rating.”
Georgia Tech TE Jackson Hawes visits 49ers ahead of the draft
“While his receiving stats may not stand out, Hawes has established himself as a strong blocker. He earned a 74.9 pass-blocking grade and a 74.7 run-blocking grade last season, allowing just one pressure over 62 pass-blocking snaps.”
Veteran kicker becomes available as potential competition for Moody
“Gay is a proven NFL kicker without a team. He would have a legitimate chance to unseat Moody if he opts to join the 49ers.
Gay made all 28 of his field-goal attempts inside 50 yards last season for the Colts. He was just 3-of-9 on kicks of 50 yards or longer.
In his career, Gay has 165 field goals on 193 attempts for an 85.5 accuracy percentage. He has made kicks of at least 55 yards in five of his six NFL seasons. Since 2020, he is 163 of 166 on extra-point attempts.”