5 USFL Draft picks 49ers may want to watch for 2022
By Peter Panacy
49ers USFL target No. 4: DL Carlo Kemp, Pittsburgh Maulers
The Niners could experience some attrition along their defensive line this offseason, namely parting ways with oft-injured EDGE Dee Ford and potentially bidding farewell to pending free agents like Arden Key, Jordan Willis and D.J. Jones.
Even if San Francisco re-signs some or all of them, finding some rotational pieces to get the training camp numbers up to three strings would be necessary, and a player who could fit in at multiple spots might be wise.
Not unlike what the 49ers used to have with now-New York Jets defensive lineman Ronald Blair.
Former Michigan defensive lineman Carlo Kemp, who was drafted by the Pittsburgh Maulers in Round 2, might be the pure definition of a tweener: too squatty to play on the outside as a pure edge rusher but not strong or imposing enough to play a prime role on the inside.
At 6-foot-3 and 286 pounds, an undersized 1-technique might be his best fit, yet that might help alleviate a loss of Jones, should he sign elsewhere this offseason.
During his college tenure, which ended in 2020, Kemp registered five sacks, 83 tackles and 10.5 tackles for a loss.