Good morning NN,

Last year I did a sleepers article for the 2019 draft (link here) and thought it might be a good idea to continue into 2020. It's taken me a bit to recover from our most recent transgression but watching college film, reading up on prospects and the like, has helped a lot. For obvious reasons, I focused mainly on positions of need, ignoring positions such as QB. If anyone is interested, I am open for discussion on those positions as well. Also, I look forward to receiving your feedback/comments. One comment I expect to see often is, "we don't have a X round pick." You're absolutely right, we don't have a 2nd, 3rd or 4th currently, but that can change. No reason to not at least do our research and/or discuss. Lastly, a lot of the round grades are obviously pre-combine and could change significantly come March. I'll do an update/follow up in March if these prospects have moved significantly in either direction. I would also like to add that I was considering adding some gifs/videos but that would have made this already lengthy post, ridiculous. Instead, I've linked some of the relevant videos I can find with the prospects. Feel free to add more, if you'd like in the comments.

As a reminder, the NFL Combine begins on February 27th (http://www.nfl.com/combine)!

Here we go!

Wide Receivers

1. Chase Claypool, WR, Notre Dame.

Height: 6' 4". Weight: 229 lbs. Projected Arm length: 33" Projected hand size: 10" Projected 40: 4.6-4.7

https://www.playerprofiler.com/nfl/chase-claypool/

https://thedraftnetwork.com/player/chase-claypool/TzWresDAFP

I'd say Claypool is one of my bigger day 3 pre-combine crushes.

Pros: He has the size and physicality we lack. I know we have Hurd, but Hurd is a big question mark still. I think if we are looking for a WR, we need a big, physical WR and Claypool would fit that mold perfectly. He's got great hands and didn't drop a lot of balls last season (he was credited with 2 drops). He's been especially effective in the end zone. Last season he caught 66 passes for over 1,000 yards with 13 TDs. He's also a YAC monster. In 2019, he gained 306 yards after the catch (100 more than Boykin the year before). Another huge pro, and one we know the 49ers are looking for, is that he's an excellent run blocker. He's had an ankle injury but for the most part has been healthy for his collegiate career.

Cons: He's projected to run a "slower" 40. There are also concerns that he will run a slow 3-cone as he has questionable acceleration off the line. While Claypool has run routes from both the inside and outside, he didn't run a full route tree at Notre Dame.

Summary: Claypool would fit perfectly within our scheme. For a guy who is 6'4" 230, I'm not concerned about his acceleration and speed as much as I would be about his hands. With a small number of drops, excellent blocking and YAC, he's worth the chance. He's currently projected to be a 4-5th round pick.

2. Quartney Davis, WR, Texas A&M

Height: 6' 1" Weight: 200 lbs. Projected Arm length: 32" Projected hand size: 10" Projected 40: 4.3

https://www.playerprofiler.com/nfl/quartney-davis/

https://thedraftnetwork.com/player/quartney-davis/mOZwxOtVHi

Pros: Davis might be the best, if not one of the best, route runners in the draft. He makes it look easy. He has that unique combination of size and flexibility. He also fights for the football and doesn't just let it come to him. Also, he's fast. Fast might be and understatement. He's a former track star. Davis is another YAC machine. In 2019, Davis had 54 receptions for 616 yards and 4 TDs. Half of Davis' yards have come after the catch. He's lined up both in the slot and on the outside. Some pundits go so far as to call him the largest slot receiver in the draft. Davis is just that versatile. The funny thing is that his closest comparison is Deebo Samuel.

Cons: There are a few, so take some deep breaths here. Davis tore his ACL in 2016, causing him to miss that season and part of 2017. Now that was almost 4 years ago. He's also had a variety of other less serious injuries throughout his career. He missed one game last season with a minor back injury. Another big one here is that he's not the best blocker. He needs to get stronger, become a better hand fighter and shed press coverage as well.

Summary: While there are durability concerns, when Davis is on the field and healthy, he's a game changer. The only reason he doesn't have better numbers, is because of atrocious QB play. You might say "Oh, JJ, this guy doesn't fit our scheme, he can't block!" And you'd be right, but if we take him and can improve upon his ability to block and shed press coverage (which I believe are both teachable, unlike speed), he will be a steal. He's projected to be a 3rd to 4th round pick.

There are a ton of other receivers I like, such as Van Jefferson, but for now I'll keep it to my top two.

Tight Ends

1. Jared Rice, TE, Fresno State

Height: 6' 5", Weight: 230, Projected Arm length: 33" Projected hand size: 9.5" Projected 40: 4.6-4.7

https://www.playerprofiler.com/nfl/jared-rice/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GK8c33b1gy4

Pros: Before I get into the "pros," you've probably never heard of Rice and he's the deepest sleeper on my list. Rice might be the most athletic TE in the draft class this year. He has developed quite the route tree as well, running almost all of the receiver routes, outs, posts, wheels, seams, slants, etc. Similar to Kittle, Rice doesn't shy away from contact and has been known to shed the first tackler. He's also been money for Fresno on third down. My favorite thing about Rice is that he doesn't drop passes. He's not afraid to fight for the ball and not afraid to get hit. No durability concerns. In 2019, Rice caught 32 balls for 307 yards and 4 TDs.

Cons: Rice isn't the best blocker. He's developing his blocking skills and isn't afraid to block but he needs to work on his leverage and planting low. There's also chatter that he could do with gaining a few pounds and bulking up a bit.

Summary: Rice is a true sleeper as most boards either don't have him on it or have barely any information on him. Where he's drafted will be a true mystery. If I had to guess, he would be great in the 6th. I've seen him as high as 5th and as low as undrafted. If we can work on his blocking (not impossible to improve), he could be a steal.

2. Stephen Sullivan, TE, LSU

Height: 6' 5", Weight: 245lbs. Projected Arm length: 35" Projected hand size: 10.5" Projected 40: 4.6

https://www.playerprofiler.com/nfl/stephen-sullivan/

https://thedraftnetwork.com/player/stephen-sullivan/xt8lkDRm3H

Pros: Mouth watering size and athleticism. Sullivan has great hands and isn't afraid to fight for contested balls. Similar to Davis, he doesn't just wait for the ball to hit him, he moves to where the ball will be. Sullivan is a great route runner as well and has run routes out of both the TE/WR tree. He's also not afraid to push defenders out of his way and beat press coverage off the line of scrimmage. Sullivan is truly a bully on the field and in a good way. In 2019, he had 12 catches for 130 yards and no TDs.

Cons: Sullivan is a similar player to Hurd who didn't really have a defined position. LSU experimented with him at both WR and TE. While this has granted him some versatility, he's never truly mastered either position. Sullivan also dropped a lot of passes earlier in his career. While it has certainly gotten better in 2019, he still had the occasional drop. Sullivan is eager to block but has not lined up in a two point stance and doesn't have the proper TE blocking technique.

Summary: Sullivan has the athleticism and versatility that the 49ers look for. If he can work on refining his blocking, he will be a steal. Sullivan's career numbers certainly leave a lot to desire but that is because LSU didn't throw his way often enough. He was underutilized in the LSU system, with so many mouths to feed, he hardly got looks. A true sleeper, with a ton of upside, he's a projected 6th - 7th round pick. I don't think there's a TE in this draft that fights harder for the ball once it's in the air.

Offensive Linemen

1. Cameron Clark, OT, Charlotte

Height: 6'5" Weight: 294lbs. Projected Arm length: 34" Projected hand size: 10.5" Projected 40: 5.1-5.2

Pros: First, he plays for the Charlotte 49ers. What more do I need to say? Seriously though, Clark is a nasty run blocker and exactly the type of prospect the current 49ers look for. He's not afraid to block his guy and then turn up field and block down field for the ball carrier. He finishes his blocks. He has good bend and flexibility within his hips. Clark's technique is solid. He holds inside and isn't afraid to use his punches. Clark has an 83" wingspan! He's a monster. His pass blocking is also decent. He has the arm length and flexibility to play tackle in the NFL. While not as good as his run blocking, he exhibits good technique and footwork. Not that this matters too much, but he earned a season PFF score of 78.6, the highest on the 49ers line. No long term durability concerns.

Cons: The weight should give this one away. He's a smaller prospect. He needs to add weight/muscle/mass. He's big enough to add the weight so that shouldn't be a problem. Clark also needs to work a lot more on his pass blocking. Even though the technique is there, the added weight should help anchor him better.

Summary: Clark is the type of lineman we seek. A nasty run blocking finisher. If he can improve on his pass blocking, he will be a steal. He will likely start as a OG, because of his size but has the arm length, wingspan and hand size to make it as a successful tackle in the NFL. A true developmental prospect, with some work Clark is a perfect fit. He is projected to be a 6th-7th round pick.

2. Frederick Mauigoa, C, Washington State

Height: 6' 3" Weight: 310lbs. Projected Arm length: 32" Projected hand size: 10" Projected 40: 5.1-5.2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dW-IW4PaYGk

Pros: Fred fits perfectly into a zone blocking scheme. He's an excellent run blocker. PFF has him ranked inside the top 5 run blocking interior linemen. Mauigoa has the size and flexibility to play the center position in the NFL. Fred's pass blocking is also above average. In 2019, Washington State's offense had over 6,000 passing yards on 708 attempts. Mauigoa has had plenty of reps pass blocking. He also has no long term durability concerns and no significant injuries reported throughout his college career.

Cons: Mauigoa needs to gain muscle and mass. While he's not under-sized, he's not as strong as he should be for an NFL center. He also needs to work on his pass blocking technique. While has had many reps, he's not the best pass blocker. In 2018, Mauigoa allowed 16 pressures on 976 snaps.

Summary: If Mauigoa can work on his pass blocking technique and bulk up, he will be a solid starter at Center in the NFL. As we are a primarily run first offense, he would be a great fit, scheme-wise. Another developmental pick, he's projected anywhere as high as the 5th round to as low as undrafted.

Linebackers

1. Krys Barnes, LB, UCLA

Height: 6'2" Weight: 235lbs. Projected Arm length: 32" Projected hand size: 9.75" Projected 40: 4.6-4.7

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFuocbKfxRg

Pros: Krys is consistent. He's fast, has good instincts and a good nose for the football and is consistently good. In 2018 Barnes had 85 tackles, 10 for a loss, 1 sack, 1 INT and 6 pass deflections. In 2019, he had 72 tackles, 9.5 for a loss, 4 sacks, 1 INT, 7 deflections and 1 forced fumble. Barnes is productive. He's fast and an efficient tackler. He constantly puts himself in position to make plays. He's also a good pass defender. Krys was also listed on the third team (third place) on the PFF All-Pac-12 team. He doesn't make a lot of mistakes.

Cons: As you probably noticed from the weight, Barnes is undersized for the NFL level. The immediate concern then becomes, if he adds muscle mass/weight, how will that impact his speed? He's also considered a jack of all trades, master of none. He's good at rushing the passer, good at coverage, good at run defense but not excellent at any. It will be interesting to see how his skill set translates at the NFL level.

Summary: Barnes is an intriguing prospect. He reminds me of Fred Warner coming out of college. He just is always wherever the ball is. While not the fastest, strongest or best LB in the draft, he has the ability and technique to be an every down backer in the NFL. Barnes is all over the place on boards, as high as 5th and as low as undrafted. He would be worthy of a 6th rounder.

2. Dante Olson, LB, Montana

Height: 6'2" Weight: 235lbs. Projected Arm length: 32" Projected hand size: 9" Projected 40: 4.6-4.7

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPBctJGO4Lo

https://gogriz.com/sports/football/roster/dante-olson/5061

Pros: Violent. A perfect linebacker for Saleh. Olson is a hard hitter who uses his full body to make tackles. He has excellent technique and isn't dirty but violent. Olson plays faster than his 40 would indicate. He has the ability to read out the play early and be in position immediately. Olson is also excellent as a blitzer. In his three years, Olson has 397 tackles, 26 tackles for loss, 11.5 sacks, 3 INT, 9 deflections and five forced fumbles. As indicated by the fumbles, Olson is always attempting to rip the ball out when bringing the carrier down. In 2019, he had 179 total tackles!! The nation's leading tackler. A great run stuffer with a nose for the football, Olson would be a great fit.

Cons: Small school prospect faced inferior competition. Olson could still stand to gain some more weight/muscle. While not necessarily under-sized, NFL athletes are a lot bigger than the small school competition Olson faced. Olson would be best served in a zone coverage scheme as he likes to play off the line of scrimmage and diagnose from afar. Could use some work pass defending. While he has great tackling technique, he has a lot of mileage on him. There haven't been durability concerns in the past, but it's still concerning.

Summary: Olson is perfect for the 49ers system. He plays with the type of violence Saleh wants and excels all three downs. Even though he's a small school prospect, his technique and instincts make him a great prospect to watch for. He projects as high as the 4th round and as low as undrafted. The combine will either make or break him.

Running Backs

1. Antonio Gibson, RB, Memphis

Height: 6'0" Weight: 225lbs. Projected Arm length: 31" Projected hand size: 8" Projected 40: 4.4-4.5

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKm9IkvBopI

https://www.playerprofiler.com/nfl/antonio-gibson/

Pros: Explosive athlete. He's a bigger back, so he's got the power and drive to break tackles and keep churning. Gibson has great hands and vision. He caught more passes than he had carries last season. Something the 49ers need in this offense. As he's a bigger back, once he gets moving he plows through guys. Almost always breaks the first tackle/sheds first contact. Another positive, he's great as a kick returner on special teams. He brings a good amount of versatility to the position and can serve as an offensive weapon. In 2019, Gibson had 33 carries for 369 yards (11.2 per attempt) and 4 TDs. He also had 38 receptions for 735 yards and 8 TDs. Another important stat: no fumbles. Gibson is strong and doesn't let the ball get ripped out of his hands.

Cons: Gibson played both WR and RB for the Tigers. Similar to Hurd, there are questions as to which one would be a better fit for him. As he has great hands and good vision, he seemed to do very well as both. As he has mixed in both, he's not the best route runner as a receiver and not used to being a three-down back. He will need to spend a bit of time getting used to being a full-time RB, but as we mix in our RB's often, he would fit in perfectly.

Summary: An under-utilized gem, Gibson could be another OX for us in our scheme. As Hurd is now 6' 5" and possibly still growing, he's not going to take many snaps out of the backfield. Gibson would allow us to keep being creative with Deebo and add Gibson into the mix. As he can play any WR position/RB position and isn't scheme dependent, Gibson could truly be another wild card for Shanahan to mix in. He's been projected to go as high as the 5th round and as low as the 7th.

2. James Robinson, RB, Illinois State

Height: 5'10" Weight: 225lbs. Projected Arm length: 29" Projected hand size: 9" Projected 40: 4.5-4.6

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5txmXvef0a4

Pros: Considered the next David Johnson. He's similar in size and in running ability. He's powerful and fast. Robinson has great hands and can truly become a three-down back. In 2019, Robinson had 364 carries for 1,899 yards and 18 TDs with an average of 5.0 YPC. He had 21 receptions for 164 yards and another TD. Robinson carried the Illinois offense. He has great vision for the hole and short area quickness. Similar to Gibson, he doesn't shy away from contact and breaks a lot of tackles. Watching the highlights, you can see just how elusive he is. Another common theme here when I'm choosing RBs to fall in love with, no fumbles. He doesn't let the ball get ripped out of his hands.

Cons: Small school prospect who was a 2 star recruit. Robinson has faced inferior competition. He's also not expected to be one of the faster backs in the draft. While Robinson has great acceleration, he doesn't have the top speed guys like Breida have. He will have to get a bit better with his blocking and route tree to truly be the type of back Shanahan wants. He's also got a lot of mileage on him. While there haven't been any significant injuries, he's carried the Illinois offense for two full years.

Summary: Robinson has the potential to be a small school gem. He's got the unique mix of vision, burst and hands that we are looking for in a RB. With not a lot of negatives and a lot of upside, he'd be the perfect choice to take a chance on. He's projected as high as the 5th round and as low as undrafted.

Defensive Backs

1. Jaylinn Hawkins, S, Cal

Height: 6'2" Weight: 210lbs. Projected Arm length: 32" Projected hand size: 9.5" Projected 40: 4.4-4.5

https://thedraftnetwork.com/player/jaylinn-hawkins/bObVrRUD3p

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIoTzYG2VSM

Pros: Hawkins is an intriguing prospect as he's played in a number of safety schemes for the Bears, which has led him to have a good amount of versatility. The reason I like Hawkins is because the snaps he's played at the single-high position, he's played very well. He's also excelled in zone coverage. This leads him to being an excellent fit within our defensive scheme. What's even more exciting is that he's a ball hawk. In 2018, he amassed 6 INTs with and additional 9 passes deflected. In 2019, he had 2 INTs with 2 passes defended and 2 sacks. The reason for the drop off? As I stated earlier, Hawkins was used all over and in 2019 the Bears used him more as a box safety, due to his size. I would instead, put Hawkins back in the single high role and let him do his thing. He's big enough to cover NFL WR's and TEs. There's a lot more to say about Hawkins as he's an excellent ball tracker, tackler and isn't afraid to sky for a ball in the air.

Cons: The Bears moved Hawkins around a lot between CB/S and he needs more time to truly develop. He also needs to get better vs the run. While he's decent, he needs to get a bit better at diagnosing the play. There are also concerns about his top speed. While he's projected to run a 4.4-4.5, that's a bit slow for a safety. Now, he's not going to be as slow as someone like Rapp, but he's not going to be anywhere near as fast as Moore. He's more instinctual than someone like Witherspoon who relies on his speed to catchup.

Summary: Finding the right fit will be critical to Hawkins success in the NFL. I believe the 49ers would be perfect. The snaps he's played in zone and at single high, showed his true talent. If he can clean up some of his deficiencies, he could very well be our single-high starter. If he runs well, he's projected to go as high as the 4th round but could also fall to the 7th, if he doesn't. He will be one of the more interesting prospects to watch come Combine week.

2. Michael Ojemudia, CB, Iowa

Height: 6'0" Weight: 200lbs. Projected Arm length: 32" Projected hand size: 9" Projected 40: 4.4-4.5

https://thedraftnetwork.com/player/michael-ojemudia/v5J0iIGaLb

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cubqV5yTL4M

Pros: Ojemudia is a perfect fit for the 49ers scheme. His strengths are exactly what we're looking for. A press corner who is physical at the line and plays a cover 3/4. In 2019, he had 52 tackles, 3 INTs and 9 passes deflected. Ojemudia is another physical CB, similar to Sherman. He's not going to sit 10 yards away from the line, instead he's going to be in the receivers face jamming and pressing as soon as possible. This also goes hand in hand with his divinity for laying hits. The guy hits like a truck and isn't afraid to hit hard and often. As indicated by his volume of tackles, he's good in run support as well.

Cons: Ojemudia is an extremely scheme dependent prospect. He's not great in man coverage as he doesn't have the speed to catchup if he falls behind. His play style very much reminds me of how Sherman plays, just a good fighter with a nose for the football. He simply doesn't let guys blow by him. That said, he could probably also use some more muscle mass as receivers in the NFL are quite larger. If he's going to press and be physical, he will need to get stronger.

Summary: As we employ the scheme Ojemudia would fit into, he's a good prospect to watch. If we use him in a similar fashion to how we use Sherman, he could very well be his successor in 2021 and beyond. It will be interesting to see how he tests during the 40 and 3-cone and is a prospect to keep our eyes on. He's slotted to go anywhere from as high as the 5th round to as low as undrafted.

Well, that's it. Took a few days to write this and I think I covered most of our positions of need. Would love to hear your comments and who you think some sleepers are that we should be looking at. Cheers!