49ers must cross these 5 prospects off big board after poor NFL Combine

49ers no-go prospect No. 2: Tight end Jake Ferguson, Wisconsin

Again, it wouldn’t be a shocker to see Kyle Shanahan look to the draft to find another tight end to pair with All-Pro George Kittle, an effort Shanahan and the Niners have seemingly repeated at trying ever since Kittle emerged as a star in 2018.

The good news is the 2022 NFL Draft is chock full of tight end talent. And while there’s no established stud like now-Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts, there are still plenty of workable options mixed through all seven rounds.

Although San Francisco might want to consider crossing Wisconsin tight end Jake Ferguson off its list.

Read More: 5 sleepers 49ers must watch closely at NFL Combine

Ferguson, 6-foot-5 and 244 pounds, has been a workable receiving target, picking up at least 400 receiving yards in three of his four collegiate seasons, the only exception being 2020 when the pandemic shortened his efforts to just seven games.

Still, Ferguson ran an awfully slow 4.81 40-yard time, and his 15 reps on the bench press were a bit underwhelming, too, suggesting he won’t have the functional strength to be an inline blocker.

While Ferguson remains a safe pass-catching target, it doesn’t look as if he’ll have the capabilities of separation at the pro level with any sort of regularity.