49ers: 5 biggest sleepers to target in 2021 NFL Draft

49ers Sleeper No. 3: EDGE Cameron Sample, Tulane

There aren’t too many clear-cut studs in the pass-rushing department for this year’s NFL Draft, and essentially every one of them has some sort of significant question mark.

That said, some pass-rushing help is pretty high on the 49ers’ list of draft needs, particularly with EDGE Nick Bosa coming back from an ACL tear and fellow pass-rusher Dee Ford’s back injury that limited him to just one game a season ago. And while it’s a bonus the Niners were able to add the speedy EDGE, Samson Ebukam, finding some additional outside pass-rushers should be something John Lynch and Co. look to do on day three.

One of the names worth looking at is Tulane EDGE Cameron Sample.

The 6-foot-3, 280-pound Sample might not have the speed burst of a player like Ebukam. But Sample came off a collegiate career-best five-sack campaign in 2020. And just like Cade Johnson, Sample’s Senior Bowl workouts were exceptional, as he earned the game’s best-defensive player accolades.

SB Nation’s Canal Street Chronicles described what made Sample so special that week of practice:

"He put his nose down and took it out on whoever was in front of him. By the end of the week, he was drawing the attention of two offensive linemen at a time, IN PRACTICE. His performance was such a standout, that he was voted as the best defensive lineman by the people who would know best, those who he was lined up across all week."

Sample’s performance during Senior Bowl week certainly improved his draft stock, although he’s still likely a day-three target.

And one San Francisco would be wise to look at closely.