49ers 2020 NFL Draft needs: 3 late-round tight ends to target
By Peter Panacy
817. . Tight End. Tigers . Stephen Sullivan. 3. player
Niner Noise has already talked about No. 2 LSU tight end Stephen Sullivan as a late-round sleeper target for the 49ers.
Like George Kittle, Sullivan’s collegiate numbers aren’t going to be overly impressive. But that’s one of the things scouts need to acknowledge on day three of the NFL Draft: not always getting a top-producing player, rather someone who has the tools to become successful.
| Receiving | Rushing | Scrimmage | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | School | Conf | Class | Pos | G | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | Plays | Yds | Avg | TD |
| *2017 | LSU | SEC | SO | WR | 8 | 11 | 219 | 19.9 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 2.5 | 1 | 13 | 224 | 17.2 | 2 |
| *2018 | LSU | SEC | JR | WR | 10 | 23 | 363 | 15.8 | 2 | 2 | 20 | 10.0 | 0 | 25 | 383 | 15.3 | 2 |
| *2019 | LSU | SEC | SR | TE | 6 | 12 | 130 | 10.8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 130 | 10.8 | 0 | |
| Career | LSU | 46 | 712 | 15.5 | 3 | 4 | 25 | 6.3 | 1 | 50 | 737 | 14.7 | 4 |
Provided by CFB at Sports Reference: View Original Table
Generated 4/2/2020.
You’ll note how the 6-foot-5, 242-pound target switched from wide receiver to tight end his senior year. That shows up both as a bonus and hindrance, as Sullivan isn’t capable of inline blocking and should only be considered a blocker in space and someone capable of winning one-on-one matchups in the receiving game.
Fortunately, Sullivan has some long strides and a wide catch radius. He also performed well at the NFL Scouting Combine last month, so there are some sheer physical traits worth honing.
It’s likely Sullivan winds up being a Round 6 pickup, and the 49ers wouldn’t be solving any of their depth-blocking needs at the position.
But as a mismatch nightmare in the making, Sullivan could fill a unique and intriguing role in Kyle Shanahan’s offense.