The San Francisco 49ers held their local pro day recently, and there were several players from Stanford University who made an appearance.
One notable exception for the Cardinal contingent was tight end Sam Roush, which could give a hint as to what San Francisco’s strategy will be in the upcoming NFL Draft.
The full list of Stanford attendees includes a number of interesting players, but Roush is probably the best Stanford product in this year's draft. He is seen as one of the top tight end prospects in what is a considered a deep tight end class, and while the position is by no means the top need remaining for the Niners this offseason, it may not be a bad idea to add some fresh blood to the mix.
One of the biggest questions of the offseason is how star tight end George Kittle will recover from his Achilles tear. Optimistic appraisals have him returning by Week 1, but given the severity of the injury, it would not be a huge shock if the 49ers took their time with him and maybe didn’t bring him back until a few weeks into the season.
Jake Tonges and Luke Farrell should be able to hold down the fort reasonably well if Kittle were to miss some time, but adding Roush to that mix not only gives the Niners a little more depth, it also gives them a potential successor to Kittle down the road.
Yet, the fact that Roush was not there at the pro day may suggest the 49ers aren’t focusing on tight end in the draft. Maybe Roush figures that he will likely be selected by another team and feels it would not be worth his time to attend.
It certainly wouldn’t come as a massive shock if the Niners didn’t select a tight end in the draft. They only have six picks in this year’s draft, and with other more pressing needs to address, they may rationalize that it's not worth it to burn a pick on a guy who probably wouldn’t be a starter for years if Kittle returns healthy and is his usual self.
At the same time, Kittle only played in 11 games last season, so maybe the 32-year-old pro will not be as reliable going forward.
We’ll have to wait a few weeks to see what San Francisco chooses to do in the draft, but Roush’s absence from the pro day may be a subtle hint the Niners are not thinking of drafting a tight end.