49ers 2019 NFL Draft prospect profile: Tight end Noah Fant

The San Francisco 49ers aren’t generally seen as teams in play for a tight end early in the 2019 NFL Draft. But Iowa’s Noah Fant could easily change the team’s mind.

The San Francisco 49ers already boast one of the most prolific tight ends in the league today, George Kittle. And a year after setting the NFL record for most receiving yards by a tight end in a single season, one would think general manager John Lynch and Co. would have no reason to use a high NFL Draft pick to take another in 2019.

Yet two of Kittle’s former teammates at Iowa, tight ends T.J. Hockenson and Noah Fant, could easily change that narrative.

Hockenson might be the more potent of the two prospects, likely to go earlier than his fellow prospect teammate. But that doesn’t mean Fant is a massive downgrade heading into draft season.

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Targeting either could be a wise move for San Francisco, especially considering head coach Kyle Shanahan’s red-zone offense finished dead last in touchdown efficiency a year ago. And it’s one of the reasons Niner Noise’s Jeremy Wohlfart broke down what a Hockenson-to-49ers draft scenario would be beneficial.

But with the 49ers highly unlikely to use their first pick, No. 2 overall, on a tight end, the earliest one could be selected would be at No. 36. Barring trades, of course.

Assuming Hockenson is gone by that point, what would a player like Fant offer to San Francisco’s draft plans and offense?

Noah Fant’s Strengths

At 6-foot-4 and 249 pounds, Fant has an ideal body type for the position and also managed to run a solid 4.50 40-yard time at the NFL Scouting Combine. That’s excellent speed for a player of his size, and he’s more than adept at creating mismatches using both intangibles.

Like Kittle, Fant also excels in after-the-catch plays. His catch radius is also wide, too, as he’s able to use that 33.5-inch wingspan to his advantage.

Unlike a lot of pass-catching collegiate tight ends, Fant is also more than capable holding his own in blocking.

This makes him arguably one of the more complete players at his position entering the NFL Draft.

Noah Fant’s Weaknesses

So, why is Fant falling behind Hockenson in the discussion for being the first tight end taken on draft day?

While he is a mismatch nightmare, Fant often needs to get clean breaks off the line of scrimmage to create maximum separation. And if he runs into stiff coverage in his routes, Fant can often slow down and be far less effective in the open field.

He also had more than his share of focus drops, too, which won’t garner him any love from quarterbacks looking at him to be a reliable target. According to the above Pro Football Focus video, Fant had a total of 13 dropped passes over his collegiate career.

That’s a bit of a concern, especially if the trend continues at the pro level.

How He’d Fit with the 49ers

Ruling out the crazy notion the Niners would use a first-round pick on Fant, the only feasible way a move here would make sense if he was the best player on the board in Round 2. Even then, the 49ers may want be looking elsewhere to make upgrades.

That said, a tight end should be a medium-tier priority for San Francisco this offseason. After all, the Niners’ No. 2 tight end, Garrett Celek, had more accepted penalties (six) thrown his way last season than catches (five). And he’ll also turn 31 years old before the regular season begins, meaning his best playing days are likely behind him.

Finding an upgrade over Celek should at least be on the 49ers radar on draft day. Getting Kittle in Round 5 was a steal, although a player like Fant could be nearly as potent.

Why would it make sense? Well, the Niners still lack a strong red-zone presence. And none of their wide receivers crested 500 receiving yards in 2018. Dual pass-catching tight end sets are nightmares for defensive coordinators to scheme against. One mismatch nightmare alone is a problem, and adding two creates the kind of problems defensive rosters aren’t built for.

Sure, adding Fant in Round 2 (assuming he falls to No. 36) would negate San Francisco’s ability to upgrade other positions in need of attention. But it would also serve to make Shanahan’s offense awfully prolific.

The 2019 NFL Draft kicks off on Thursday, April 25 at 8 p.m. ET.