5 Prospects the 49ers Should Watch at the 2016 NFL Scouting Combine
By Jerod Brown
The 2016 NFL Scouting Combine is underway in Indianapolis and will continue over the weekend. Prospects have already begun the evaluation process, including medical exams. The 49ers front office and coaching staffs should keep their eyes on specific players to continue building their draft board.
The 2016 Scouting Combine began officially on February 23 and will continue through the weekend, ending on February 29. Staggered throughout the week will be various positional groups of measurements, interviews and on-field workouts.
The San Francisco 49ers front office and coaching staffs head to Indianapolis with a long list of potential positions to address in the draft. With over 300 prospects attending the Scouting Combine, the 49ers will be working hard to evaluate all of the prospects at Lucas Oil Stadium.
The Scouting Combine is a grueling process.It wears players out and demands a hefty amount of mental and emotional sharpness and clarity in an overwhelmingly stressful environment. The week in Indianapolis amounts to one high-stakes job interview with millions of dollars on the line.
The 49ers will have their eyes on every player that tests. They’ll compile data for every bench press rep, each 40-yard dash run and every 3-cone time. With an expected 12 picks in the upcoming 2016 NFL Draft, they will need to have a deep well of information on all of the prospects to ensure that they capitalize on talent with each pick.
To say that the team should have their eyes on any specific player might seem obvious and redundant. However, with some needs more pressing than others, and questions for some prospects to answer, the 49ers should watch a few prospects even more carefully than others.
The 49ers, whether they actively choose to or not, will notice University of Oregon quarterback Vernon Adams, for better or worse. So, in addition to Adams, here are five prospects that the 49ers, and by extension their fans, should watch intently at the 2016 NFL Scouting Combine.
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