5 draftees who rose up 49ers big board at NFL Combine
By Peter Panacy
Jelani Woods. 2. player. 888. . Tight End. Cavaliers
49ers prospect No. 2: TE Jelani Woods, Virginia
The Niners are likely to at least explore taking advantage of what’s turning into a nice and deep tight end class this season, and grabbing someone to pair with All-Pro George Kittle surely has to be on the mind of head coach Kyle Shanahan.
Fortunately, unlike some of the other prospects already listed who performed well at the NFL Combine, Virginia tight end Jelani Woods should safely be within San Francisco’s draft range at some point, still likely on day three but certainly much sooner than what could have been a sixth- or even seventh-round projection.
Woods, a wide receiver convert from his days at Oklahoma State, still needs a lot of refinement for his route-running abilities, yet it’s hard to overlook his impressive 6-foot-7 and 259-pound frame as a legitimate pass-catching weapon.
Especially in the red zone.
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Woods didn’t sacrifice speed for size, though, and his 4.61 40-yard dash was among the leaders at his position during the combine.
For a player with such natural attributes, the 49ers now have to consider him a much more attractive target earlier in the draft than the otherwise would have before.