San Francisco 49ers: 5 late-round gems to target in the 2019 NFL Draft
By Peter Panacy
George Kittle was one of the better day-three finds the 49ers have enjoyed in recent history. That said, it wouldn’t be a shock to see the Niners look to upgrade tight end depth behind Kittle going into 2019.
One of the reasons is Kittle’s immediate backup, Garrett Celek, is coming off a disappointing 2018 campaign in which he was flagged more times (six) than had receptions (five). And turning 31 years old before the regular season begins won’t help his long-term prognosis for sticking around.
San Francisco could grab one of the more prolific tight ends earlier in the draft, such as Iowa’s T.J. Hockenson or Noah Fant. A mid rounder is possible, too, yet it might be smarter to try finding another late-round gem.
Like Stetson’s Donald Parham.
At 6-foot-8 and 235 pounds, Parham might be a bit lean but is absolutely a pass-catching mismatch nightmare if he gets open. And you have to take this into account from his pro day, courtesy of the Daytona Beach News-Journal:
"In fact, in a few of the key areas, he performed better than Iowa’s T.J. Hockenson, who’s projected to be the first tight end taken in April’s draft: His vertical jump of 38½ inches, broad jump of 10 feet, five inches, and 40-yard dash of 4.67 all bettered Hockenson, and his 17 bench-press reps of 225 pounds matched him."
Parham is essentially an NBA forward lining up on the gridiron. Without even considering anything else, just matching his height and speed should be enough to warrant consideration from scouts.
Including the 49ers, who could likely target Parham in Rounds 6 or 7 without worrying one bit (San Francisco currently doesn’t have a seventh-round draft choice, but that doesn’t eliminate trades).