Companies sometimes use pre-employment tests to determine a candidate’s cognitive ability.

The NFL is no different, as the league utilizes the infamous Wonderlic test to assess prospects prior to the NFL draft.

Scores of some of this year’s receiver class were released, and several of the 49ers’ assumed top targets didn’t fare so well.

WR Wonderlic Scores:

Michael Pittman 29

Bryan Edwards 28

Chase Claypool 27

Brandon Aiyuk 23

Henry Ruggs 20

Justin Jefferson 19

Denzel Mims 17

KJ Hamler 15

Laviska Shenault 14

Jalen Reagor 13

Cee Dee Lamb 12

Van Jefferson 12

Tee Higgins 11

Jerry Jeudy 9

as per @BobMcGinn#NFLDraft — First N Goal (@First_N_Goal1) April 15, 2020

Henry Ruggs, who many have linked to San Francisco in recent weeks, lands right on the average Wonderlic score of 20. His former college teammate Jerry Jeudy, the 49ers’ No. 13 pick in NBC Sports Bay Area’s latest mock draft, rounds out the bottom of the group with a nine. Oklahoma product CeeDee Lamb finished with a 12.

Now, Wonderlic scores are far from an exact science when it comes to predicting success in the NFL. Players with the five-highest scores in league history have a combined one Pro Bowl appearance.

[RELATED: NFL draft busts: Ranking 49ers' biggest misfires of last 20 years]

Meanwhile, NFL stalwarts like former 49ers running back Frank Gore (six), Cincinnati Bengals receiver A.J. Green (10), and Hall of Famer Randy Moss (12) put together phenomenal careers in spite of well below-average scores.

Alabama WR Jerry Jeudy scored a 9 on his Wonderlic test...



Larry Fitzgerald - 18

Emmanuel Sanders - 18

Dez Bryant - 16

Julio Jones - 15

Reggie Wayne - 13

Randy Moss - 12

AJ Green - 10



How meaningful that number is highly up for debate, especially for receivers. — John Kazar 🕙 (@KazarNFL) April 16, 2020

Some of the 49ers’ recent draft picks have scored very highly on the test, however.

So in 2018, Mike McGlinchey had the highest wonderlic score for an OT, Dante Pettis led WRs and Fred Warner was second among LBs.



In the 2020 Draft for WRs, Ruggs scored a 20, Lamb scored a 11 and Jeudy scored a 9. Not sure what it all means. https://t.co/LrYAJYz6TU — Akash Anavarathan (@akashanav) April 16, 2020

It’s no secret that you don’t need an Ivy League education to have an elite NFL career. While mental capability is an important part of an NFL player’s evaluation, there are numerous other factors that come into play.

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