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2016 Senior Bowl: 5 49ers’ Prospect Targets Who Impressed During the Game

By Jerod Brown

Jan 30, 2016; Mobile, AL, USA; The North squad huddles before the Senior Bowl at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 30, 2016; Mobile, AL, USA; The North squad huddles before the Senior Bowl at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jan 28, 2016; Mobile, AL, USA; South squad offensive and defensive players line up for a special teams drill during Senior Bowl practice at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Glenn Andrews-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 28, 2016; Mobile, AL, USA; South squad offensive and defensive players line up for a special teams drill during Senior Bowl practice at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Glenn Andrews-USA TODAY Sports /

The Senior Bowl week in Mobile, Alabama culminated with an uneventful game won by the South team. Although the game lacked excitement, the 49ers had a chance to see prospects in action against top competition. Five distinct players stood out as options for the team to pursue in the 2016 NFL Draft.

The Senior Bowl game felt like a formality at the end of a scouting-filled week in Mobile. The South team won the game 27-16 and many of the plays felt disorganized. The players all come from different schools and expecting much out of the teams is typically where viewers begin to feel burnt.

NFL teams gush over players throughout the week but the majority of teams head out before the game is even played. The performances on practice fields hold far more weight than the in-game showcases for teams that want to get close looks at potential draftees.

Both offensive lines looked completely dominated by the defensive lineman of both the North and South squads. The disappointing performances are likely outcomes of players having limited time working alongside one another and the pure skill of the defensive lineman in this class. As far as positions go, the defensive line class in this draft is by far the deepest and offers the most top-end prospects.

Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller recently posted another Big Board and the amount of DL/DE/EDGE players that rank in his top-50 is astonishing.

Quarterbacks spent the week playing second fiddle to North Dakota State’s Carson Wentz, who impressed in practices as a leader that showcased a big arm and prototypical NFL size.

Not all of the performances were underwhelming. Several players made themselves money throughout the week and in the game by playing hard and standing out against the competition. The 49ers will have a short list of candidates to target with their first pick in the draft at number seven overall.

There are, however, plenty of quality players for 49ers’ general manager Trent Baalke to target in the middle rounds to build the depth of his team. In no specific order, here are five players who impressed during the Senior Bowl and find themselves on the 49ers’ radar heading towards the 2016 NFL Draft.

Next: Replacing Ian Williams