3 burning questions for 49ers tight ends in 2020
By Peter Panacy
No. 3: Can Chase Harrell make the 49ers cut in year one?
He didn’t make too many headlines when the Niners inked him to an undrafted free-agent deal following the 2020 NFL Draft. And he certainly didn’t make too many stat sheets during his time with the Arkansas Razorbacks.
But tight end Chase Harrell is an enticing prospect to watch, if for no other reason than the explosive numbers he put up during his pro day.
Harrell ran a blazing-fast 4.53 40-yard time with an also-impressive 4.34 20-yard shuttle. Those are wide receiver-type numbers and are awfully exceptional for a player of Harrell’s build: 6-foot-4 and 249 pounds.
College stats aren’t everything. After all, George Kittle never had more than 22 receptions in a single season at Iowa, and he’s now the epitome of elite skill players in the league. So one shouldn’t be concerned too much with Harrell’s seven net catches the past two seasons.
Perhaps the best shot Harrell will have is if he can vastly outperform returning veteran Daniel Helm while also giving San Francisco’s previous No. 2 tight end, Ross Dwelley, a serious challenge in camp.
Between Dwelley and Harrell, the latter might offer the most upside.
At least in terms of the stat sheet.