5 sleeper targets for 49ers on day three of 2020 NFL Draft

The San Francisco 49ers boast a total of five picks in Rounds 5 through 7 of the 2020 NFL Draft, and finding some sleeper picks will be a bonus for general manager John Lynch and Co.

In 2017, the San Francisco 49ers elected to grab a relatively unknown tight end out of Iowa in Round 5 of that year’s NFL Draft.

The player selected, George Kittle, wasn’t known for his massive stat sheet at the college level. He was seen as a good blocker and someone who was capable of creating a few yards after the catch, which due to Iowa’s relatively simple offense, wasn’t reflected by lofty yard totals prior to the year.

Three pro seasons later, Kittle is the No. 1 tight end in the NFL and has already set numerous records in his still-brief career.

First- and second-round picks tend to get the vast majority of draft-day attention. But as Kittle can tell you, it’s not always where a player gets selected, it’s merely getting selected at all and taking advantage of the opportunity.

The Niners hold two first-round picks in this year’s NFL Draft: Nos. 13 and 31 overall. There will be a lot of focus on those two selections, of course. But general manager John Lynch is also armed with a total of five picks on day three of the draft: two in Round 5, another in Round 6 and two more in Round 7.

Kittle is one example of a hidden-gem find. Nose tackle D.J. Jones, selected in the sixth round the same year, is another good example.

While San Francisco doesn’t have a ton of pressing needs for this draft, landing some late-round impact talent is still vital to the team’s long-term success.

Here are five day-three prospects who could end up being total steals.