The San Francisco 49ers have been active in free agency, but it seems like most of their major moves have already been made. That means they may already be looking ahead to next month's NFL Draft to fill the remaining holes on the roster.
Stanford University just had its pro day. That's general manager John Lynch's alma mater, and he has not been shy about adding former Stanford players to the team over the years.
He could potentially fill two key holes for the Niners by drafting a pair of Stanford players in the draft.
Matt Barrows of The Athletic attended Stanford's pro day and shared that tight end Sam Roush was a standout for the Cardinal. Barrows also highlighted defensive tackle Clay Patterson.
If the Niners could land both of those players in the draft, they would have to feel pretty good entering the season.
Stanford could provide 49ers with 2 needed rookies
Roush is a guy who makes a lot of sense for San Francisco. He was known primarily for his blocking abilities in college, which is exactly what the 49ers will need if George Kittle is not healthy enough to play early in the season as he comes off his Achilles tear.
In Roush's senior year with the Cardinal, he had 49 receptions for 545 yards and two touchdowns. Some projections have him going in the third round, so he may be off the board before the 49ers can get him.
Still, pairing Roush with Jake Tonges and Luke Farrell could give the Niners enough depth at tight end to hold down the fort until Kittle is ready to come back.
As for Patterson, he had a very solid 2025 season for Stanford. He recorded 33 tackles and had four sacks on the year as a defensive tackle. One mock draft has him going with the No. 116 overall pick, so maybe the 49ers can get him with one of their compensatory fourth-round picks if he is still available.
After the Niners swung a trade with the Dallas Cowboys for defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa, they have to be feeling better at that spot. Now, they have Odighizuwa to pair with Alfred Collins with CJ West and others behind them on the depth chart.
Adding Patterson to that mix would give them another understudy who could grow into a more prominent role in future seasons.
Stanford is no longer a powerhouse collegiate school for football, but they have some solid players in this year's draft who could give the Niners the depth they need at two key positions.