2024 NFL Combine standouts the 49ers can't allow to become draft busts
By Peter Panacy
No. 2: TE Cade Stover, Ohio State
Yet again, the Niners are on the hunt for a tight end who could be the perfect No. 2 option to the All-Pro, George Kittle.
It's not a position of need, of course, but San Francisco could potentially make a few luxury picks in the middle of the draft if there are some promising options available.
One who should probably be crossed off that list is Ohio State tight end Cade Stover.
Sure, Stover put up wide receiver-type numbers at the combine by running a 4.55 40-yard time, which is impressive considering his 6-foot-4, 247-pound frame. And he had a solid 34.5-inch vertical, too.
However, it's pretty evident on tape that Stover isn't a natural tight end, having converted over from the defensive side of the ball. He's a rough route-runner and far from a finished product when it comes to blocking.
With neither one of those two traits well-developed, the 49ers should look elsewhere to back up Kittle.