Getty The 49ers defense versus the Eagles on September 19, 2021.
There were 220 names who went in front of Tariq Castro-Fields before the San Francisco 49ers took him with the last pick of the sixth round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
The Penn State standout was considered a surprising fall back in late April. With a 40-yard dash time of 4.38 and with the size and physical traits to match wits of opposing wide receivers in the talent-heavy Big 10 Conference, Castro-Fields was projected to go much higher — notably the fourth round by nfl.com draft evaluator Lance Zierlein.
The 6-foot-1, 197-pounder instead was one selection away from becoming a seventh rounder. While there are analysts and fans who view his fall in the draft as a shock, there is one former NFL general manager who instead has praised the selection…calling Castro-Field the 49ers’ “best bang for the buck” and most telling, “the best pick they had in the draft.”
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Past GM is a Former 49ers Executive
Scot McCloughan sat down with Bay Area columnist/insider Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area on Thursday, June 23 and the former 49ers executive — who spent 2005 to 2009 as the vice president of player personnel and general manager for his final two seasons — spoke glowingly about the Castro-Field pick at No. 221.
“I think their best bang for the buck was getting Castro-Fields,” McCloughan said on the “49ers Talk” podcast that’s Maiocco helps host.
McCloughan then gave the Nittany Lions star this comparison to one of his past standouts that he worked with.
“I think he’s a bigger version of Shawntae Spencer,” McCloughan said.
For 49er fans who recall the name, Spencer played from 2004 to 2011 with the 49ers and delivered four interceptions in his second season with the team in 2005. For his career, the 6-foot, 190-pounder from Pittsburgh collected all 11 of his career picks in a 49ers uniform. He also snatched 344 tackles and seven tackles behind the line of scrimmage with S.F. according to Pro Football Reference. And one of those stops for a loss was this hit on former Detroit Lions quarterback Jon Kitna:
Does anyone else have a super random #49ers highlight that has always sticked out in their mind? If so, what is it?
Here’s mine: Shawntae Spencer destroying Jon Kitna lol.
McCloughan Confident Castro-Fields Will Play
Castro-Fields has made some game-altering plays in the Nittany Lion uniform. One involves preventing six inside the red zone by snatching the ball versus Maryland.
Tariq Castro-Fields is the newest member of the #49ers secondary 👀
Plus he proved he can catch in traffic versus Michigan.
Tariq Castro-Fields has Beaver Stadium shaking
But what also bodes well for the 49ers, and why he has the Spencer comparisons, is for his ability to step up near the line of scrimmage which is on display in the first two plays of this highlight film:
The sixth rounder is walking into a more loaded secondary with a concoction of youth and veterans. Charvarius Ward and Emmanuel Moseley are anticipated to be CB1 and CB2 for the ‘Niners, plus veterans Jason Verrett and Dontae Johnson have stuck around S.F. The team also drafted Samuel Womack out of Toledo, who went higher than Castro-Field at No. 172 overall. That’s not preventing McCloughan from believing Castro-Fields will stand on the sidelines for every 49er game, though.
“I think he’s going to play, and he’s going to play well,” McCloughan told Maiocco.
One reason he believes the PSU cornerback will translate well: He took on some first round talent at Ohio State on Saturdays. Plus lined up against first rounder Jahan Dotson in practice.
“There are some good receivers who came out of the Big Ten the last couple of years, and he’s a 50-50 guy,” McCloughan said of Castro-Fields. “He competes with them. He doesn’t back down from them.”
Overall, the former 49ers GM believes the team struck gold at No. 221.
“I thought where they got him, that’s a steal,” he said. “That’s the best pick they had in the draft just because of where they got him.”