49ers Blog and Q&A

The 49ers are holding their so-called local combine today in which they invite draft prospects who either went to high school or college in a 50-mile radius from Santa Clara. As previously reported, that list includes Oregon quarterback Dennis Dixon (Oakland), Cal receiver DeSean Jackson and San Jose State cornerback Dwight Lowery. Just found out that a foursome of other Cal guys, safety Thomas DeCoud, receiver Lavelle Hawkins , receiver Robert Jordan and offensive lineman Brian de la Puente, also are taking part. San Jose State quarterback Adam Tafralis is taking part but Stanford quarterback T.C. Ostrander is not. Tafralis is an interesting prospect because he's so athletic. In fact, some teams are wondering if he could play H-back or fullback. He likely will be a late-round pick or an undrafted free agent.

The 49ers, of course, already got a good look at Hawkins and DeCoud at the Senior Bowl. Hawkins, in fact, probably stood out more than any other receiver during practice (Florida’s Andre Caldwell also looked good) and caught a long touchdown pass in the game.

When trying to read the tea leaves as far as which players have pre-draft visits with the 49ers, it’s important to keep in mind that the team typically doesn’t meet with Senior Bowl players. Auburn linebacker Quentin Groves, for example, was scheduled to have a sit-down with the 49ers today. Groves was slated to play in the Senior Bowl but dropped out at the last minute. Other players the 49ers will speak with like Jackson, Clemson’s Phillip Merling, Florida’s Derrick Harvey and Oklahoma’s Malcolm Kelly are underclassmen who, of course, weren’t invited to the Senior Bowl.

You can also deduce that the 49ers are making sure they take a close look at all the players who might be available to them at pick 29. Some of those players, such as Boston College tackle Gosder Cherilus and Notre Dame defensive lineman Trevor Laws, played in the Senior Bowl. The 49ers also spoke with others, such as Arizona cornerback Antoine Cason, at the scouting combine.

**update**
The 49ers just released a short statement that said Miami QB Kyle Wright (Monte Vista High in Danville) and Stanford receiver Evan Moore also attended the team's local pro day. Moore is intriguing. At 6-6, 230 pounds he has excellent size for a receiver but lacks speed. Some teams are looking at him as a tight end. The Sporting News ranks him as the 50th best receiver in the draft.
-- Matt Barrows