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Looks like we now know the first prospect who has climbed up the San Francisco 49ers 2022 NFL Draft board.
And the news comes from an NFL insider who says the ‘Niners are “very impressed” with this aspiring NFL player — and has met with this incoming rookie “extensively.”
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Who the 49ers Became Impressed With
Per Tony Pauline on Tuesday, April 19, the 49ers have grown interested in towering Nebraska wide receiver Samori Toure with the official start of the draft just nine days away.
Pauline wrote that the 6-foot-3 target, who also starred at the University of Montana in the Football Championship Subdivision realm, has met with several other teams ahead of the draft including the Green Bay Packers, Indianapolis Colts, Seattle Seahawks and the AFC champion Cincinnati Bengals. But Pauline zeroed in on the extensive interest the 49ers have in Toure.
“Another team showing a lot of interest in Toure is the San Francisco 49ers. The team ran Toure’s pro day drills, met with him extensively, and are very impressed with the Cornhusker receiver,” Pauline wrote.
Toure was a NFL Scouting Combine snub. However, he managed to impress the NFL representatives including the 49ers who watched him perform drills at Nebraska’s Pro Day — which includes watching the tall target accelerate the 40-yard dash in 4.43 seconds.
Since his Pro Day, he’s become a prospect of interest for numerous teams including the 49ers.
Toure has additionally won over reporters who will soon cover him in the league, notably ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler who called him an “intriguing pass-catching prospect for teams that need one.”
An Explanation on Why Toure is Climbing
Pre-draft work is always the rocket boost prospects need to cement their case as a round one through seven option.
In the case of Toure, he wound up using the East/West Shrine game in Las Vegas as his booster, both in practice and during the game.
Here, the former Grizzly and Cornhusker shows his rapid fire feet on the “hesitation release” during a one-on-one drill before the contest held at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas:
He then helped spark the rally for the East squad — by busting out his version of a tornado alley twister:
Toure then takes advantage of the space he’s given with this second red zone score:
Before that contest, Toure established himself as a long strider-type wideout while facing Big 10 competition. In his first taste of Football Bowl Subdivision action, Toure proved he can be just as dynamic as his Montana days.
Toure may have scored just five times in his ‘Husker tenure. But he delivered his best outing against an Ohio State team always loaded on defensive back talent (four grabs for 150 yards that game)…and out-ran two past highly-rated prospects in former four-star Lathan Ransom and five-star cornerback Tyreke Johnson on this 72-yard scamper:
Oh, that twister maneuver Toure busted in Vegas? He also hit the projected future first rounder Ransom with that same tactic…resulting in a first and goal to keep Nebraska in the game against the traditional college football heavyweight.
Toure has gone from FCS record breaker who shattered records once held by Randy Moss (mentioned in this Heavy on 49ers story), to adjusting to Big 10 play, to becoming a draft climber to now, emerging high on the 49ers’ wish list.
Does this mean Toure goes at No. 61 when S.F. makes its first selection? Pauline says Toure is still a late round pick at best as a day three prospect. But he predicts Toure could go even earlier than his original projection.
“Toure will be drafted at some point during day three. I have a seventh round grade on him, while some teams feel he’ll be off the board as early as round five,” Pauline said.
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