3 small-school Senior Bowl prospects who must have piqued 49ers' interest

The Senior Bowl has provided the Niners with an opportunity to explore some less-discussed draft talent.

Reese's Senior Bowl
Reese's Senior Bowl | Don Juan Moore/GettyImages

The 49ers don't necessarily need to look at powerhouse colleges for talent in this year's NFL Draft.

Historically, the San Francisco 49ers have had some notable success grabbing small-school prospects in the NFL Draft.

Defensive end Charles Haley, arguably the Niners' best pass-rusher ever, hailed from James Madison, while the No. 2 wide receiver in San Francisco's record books, Terrell Owens, was selected out of Chattanooga.

Oh, and the greatest player in NFL history, wide receiver Jerry Rice, spent his college ball at Mississippi Valley State.

While landing Hall of Famers from small schools isn't exactly the norm, it does highlight the possibility that top-end talent doesn't always need to come from a top-end school.

With the 2025 NFL Draft fast approaching, the 49ers' crop of scouts and coaches are already catching glimpses of less-discussed players from small schools in the lead-up to this year's Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama.

Here are three who should already be catching the Niners' eye in Mobile.

IOL Grey Zabel, North Dakota State

One of the Senior Bowl's more impressive prospects in the early days of practice is North Dakota State's interior offensive lineman, Grey Zabel.

Zabel, who projects as a center but can play all five O-line positions, received praise from numerous draft analysts and pundits for his work in one-on-one and team drills, utilizing his 6-foot-6 and 301-pound frame to good use.

Zabel projects as a Round 2 pick, which might play right into San Francisco's wheelhouse.

Plus, the 49ers could easily be eyeing either an upgrade for veteran center Jake Brendel or an immediate replacement for soon-to-be free-agent left guard Aaron Banks.

So far, at least at Senior Bowl practices, Zabel is fitting the bill.

IOL Jackson Slater, Sacramento State

A bit biased here, but Sac State is only about 15 minutes away from this writer and should hopefully start developing into a bigger program.

If the Niners opt to save their second-round pick for another need and/or prefer to find someone a little closer to home, Sacramento State interior offensive lineman Jackson Slater would be an excellent contingency plan if Zabel winds up getting drafted elsewhere.

Slater, 6-foot-4 and 306 pounds, projects as a day-three pick, perhaps falling into Round 6 as a worthwhile backup candidate with long-term starting potential, especially if he's able to play center inside a zone-style blocking system.

That's what head coach Kyle Shanahan likes to operate, right?

Fortunately for the Sac State Hornet, workouts in Mobile have been positive, upping his draft stock and potentially earning more recognition rom San Francisco.

Heck, if you look at the video below, you'll seen general manager John Lynch observing Slater:

DE Mike Green, Marshall

The 49ers may opt to save their second-round pick for the defensive line even if they use the No. 11 overall selection to grab an interior defender.

Adding a pass-rusher at this point, perhaps in the mold of Marshall's Mike Green, is certainly feasible.

Green, who led the FBS with 17 sacks in 2024, put on a show during Senior Bowl practices, and this one rep of him rolling over offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr., one of the top prospect linemen this spring, certainly garnered serious attention:

Granted, one rep won't change things too much. But Green brings some impressive skills into the fray, including a variety of pass-rushing moves and a relentless motor. That said, he's a bit undersized at 6-foot-3 and 251 pounds, is a liability against the run and can get pushed outside the pocket a bit too frequently.

Those negatives help keep him from being a top-10prospect, perhaps. But the Niners would still love to land a young pass-rusher who can develop as a quality bookend to All-Pro Nick Bosa on the opposite side, especially if he slips.

Green might be the name to watch here. Although slipping might not be part of the equation.

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